Govt accepts resignation of Corrections chief

The government has accepted the courtesy resignation of Department of Corrections Commissioner Ramon C. Mafnas last Friday.

Mafnas handed in his courtesy resignation letter to Lt. Gov. Ralph DLG. Torres, following Department of Public Works Secretary Martin C. Sablan whose courtesy resignation was accepted last Feb. 4.

Mafnas is a former chief of the Department of Public Safety, which he held concurrently with his appointment as Corrections chief. He was embroiled in controversial cases as DPS chief and was even petitioned to vacate his post in 2012.

The lieutenant governor earlier said while the nominations of acting Department of Lands and Natural Resources Secretary Richard Seman and acting Commerce Secretary Mark Rabauliman have been made, there is still no definite date on when the rest of the new Cabinet would finally shape up.

Torres added that Gov. Eloy S. Inos may have a clear idea on who will be nominated or retained and that a new Cabinet could finally be announced by “end of January.”

“There are some Cabinet members who will stay and there are some Cabinet members who would be shifting to other responsibilities,” he said.

It was also reported that the makeup of the new Cabinet would be based on the transition report that will be submitted by Committee on Transition chair Gregorio M. Camacho.

With the a resignations of Mafnas and Sablan, the current Cabinet is left with Finance Secretary Larrisa Larson, Community and Cultural Affairs Secretary Laura Ogumoro, Labor Secretary Edith Deleon Guerrero, Public Lands Secretary Pete A. Tenorio, DPS Commissioner James Deleon Guerrero, Marianas Visitors Authority managing director Perry Tenorio, Chief Public Defender Doug Hartig, special assistant for Management and Budget Virginia Villagomez, special assistant for Homeland Security and Emergency Management Marvin Seman, Bureau of Environmental and Coastal Quality administrator Frank Rabauliman, special assistant for administration Esther Fleming, Carolinian Affairs Office director Jose Limes, Commonwealth Office of Transit Authority special assistant Thomas J. Camacho, Women’s Affairs Office special assistant Remy Buniag, and acting press secretary Ivan Blanco.

Inos requested his Cabinet to submit courtesy resignations immediately after his and Torres’ victory in the runoff election in December.