Four senators to vote on Articles of Impeachment

The Republican Party-controlled Senate is set to vote today, Wednesday, whether or not to convict Gov. Ralph DLG Torres, the titular head of CNMI’s GOP, of the Articles of Impeachment. Many believe that the proceedings are only a formality, considering that there are no House of Representatives’ prosecutor and no House impeachment record submitted as evidence.

Some, however, are uncertain as to how the Senate’s session—scheduled to start at 1:30pm—will go considering that the whole impeachment process is new to everyone in the CNMI.

In response to Saipan Tribune’s inquiry yesterday, Sen. Edith E. DeLeon Guerrero (D-Saipan) said the House’s Articles of Impeachment is on the agenda as unfinished business. DeLeon Guerrero said she is not sure yet what will happen when the session begins.

Sen. Paul A. Manglona (Ind-Rota) said yesterday that he is still considering the whole impeachment proceedings, which he described as “unfair and unjust”—a trial without a prosecutor and without impeachment records.

DeLeon Guerrero, Manglona, and Sen. Teresita A. Santos (Ind-Rota) did not participate in Monday’s continuation of the impeachment trial after they notified Senate President Jude U. Hofschneider (R-Tinian) that they are temporarily recusing themselves from the impeachment proceedings until such time the Superior Court hears and rules on pending motions in a lawsuit requesting the court to issue a temporary restraining order to stop the impeachment trial.

Manglona is one of three plaintiffs who sued the Senate.

There are nine senators, but Sen. Vinnie F. Sablan (R-Saipan), who is Torres’ running mate in the November 2022 election, and Sen. Justo Quitugua (R-Saipan) have already recused from the proceedings. Quitugua said the governor’s maternal grandfather is his mother’s sibling.

Aside from the three minority bloc senators, the remaining four senators involved in the trial are Hofschneider, Sens. Victor B. Hocog (R-Rota), Francisco Cruz (R-Tinian), and Karl King-Nabors (R-Tinian).

The CNMI Constitution requires two-thirds of the full Senate—or six senators—to vote “yes” to convict and remove Torres from office.

Anthony Aguon, the lead counsel for Torres’ legal team, said at the start of the trial Friday that since the House has chosen not file an impeachment record or any other evidence in support of their six Articles of Impeachment and has chosen not to enter any appearance and as a result are without an impeachment prosecutor, Torres could technically just sit back and do nothing at all.

Rep. Christina Sablan (D-Saipan), who is running for governor under the Democratic Party in the November election, appears to have conceded that Torres will not be removed from office with the impeachment trial.

Sablan stated during the trial’s public comments portion Monday that this mockery of a “trial” will end soon enough and that the verdict is already known.

“One thing is clear: our quest for justice and accountability will not end with the Senate,” Sablan said.