Evangelista to run for AG

Attorney Michael “Mike” Norita Evangelista declared yesterday his candidacy for the CNMI’s first ever attorney general election in November, vowing to not tolerate corruption in all levels of government, treat everyone equally under the law, and not allow politics to interfere in the work of the Office of the Attorney General.
Evangelista, 42, is so far the second individual to declare his AG candidacy.

The first one is former Superior Court presiding judge Edward Manibusan, who announced his candidacy on Feb. 8.

November will be the first time CNMI voters will get to elect their attorney general, as a result of voters’ overwhelming ratification of House vice speaker Frank Dela Cruz’s (Ind-Saipan) elected AG initiative in 2012.

“I think that corruption is hindrance to society’s progress and that’s why we need a strong attorney general who will enforce and adhere to the law and does not buckle under political interference. I think it’s easier to just follow the law rather than make exemptions or to treat certain individuals [differently]. Everyone should be fairly and equally treated under the law, no one is above the law,” Evangelista said.

He declared his AG candidacy before a considerable crowd of family members, friends, and supporters at Aqua Resort Club yesterday.

Evangelista’s campaign manager is former senator Thomas “Kiyu” Villagomez, while his assistant campaign manager is B.J. Tenorio Attao. The treasurer is Ignacia “Acha” Lifoifoi-Evangelista. Evangelista said his senior adviser is Commonwealth Ports Authority board chair Joe Lifoifoi.

Evangelista said the public’s “overwhelming” vote on the elected AG initiative indicated the public’s desire to have an “independent attorney general, one free from political interference.”

“That mandate also was that they wanted an attorney general who will not tolerate corruption in government. They wanted an attorney general who will fight and clean up corruption in all levels of government,” he added.

Evangelista said he was one of the estimated 20 assistant attorneys general at the Office of the Attorney General who resigned days or weeks apart from each other when former AG Edward Buckingham came in at the OAG.

“We just couldn’t operate under that kind of leadership. We were seeing things that in our view were not appropriate but we felt that as attorneys, officers of the court, we have to uphold the law. But with regards to leaving the office, yes I did not agree with the leadership and I couldn’t be a part of that style of leadership,” Evangelista said, referring to Buckingham’s leadership at the OAG.

Buckingham was recently convicted of corruption and sentenced to 3.5 years, all suspended. The charges against Buckingham are almost the same charges against former governor Benigno R. Fitial, who resigned days after the House sent the impeachment process to the Senate for trial.

Evangelista pointed out, however, that he enjoyed working at the OAG, where he started his career as an attorney.

“There’s still a lot to be done at the Attorney General’s Office, still a lot to be fixed… We have very hardworking people at the Attorney General’s Office, both staff and attorneys, and we need to support them. We need to equip them with the tools, training, and support to make these hardworking individuals be able to effectively and efficiently perform their duties and obligations, so that we set them up to succeed,” he added.

Evangelista is a graduate of Northern Marianas College and Washington State University, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in political science. He returned home after college and worked as a legislative assistant for the CNMI Legislature. He then pursued and successfully earned his law degree at the University of Idaho College of Law.

After his return to the CNMI, he worked at the Superior Court, as a special policy adviser and chief of staff for the House speaker’s office, and then as an assistant attorney general. He worked as a prosecutor in the OAG’s Criminal Division.

In 2010, Evangelista opened his own private law firm, the Law Office of Michael Norita Evangelista LLC in Chalan Kanoa.

In his campaign slogan, “Mike CARES,” he said the latter word stands for “Competent, Approachable, Responsive, Energetic and Sensible.”

Evangelista was born and raised in Tanapag. He is of Chamorro-Carolinian-Filipino descent.

“I am proud of my multi-ethnic, multi-cultural identity, which is reflective of the CNMI’s diverse population,” he said.