House honors Mantas, Trianni

Members of the Saipan Southern High School Manta Ray Battalion pose with members of the CNMI House of Representatives last Tuesday after receiving a resolution acknowledging their accomplishments at the Golden Bear West Coast National Drill Meet in April in California. (Jon Perez)

The House of Representatives honored the Saipan Southern High School Manta Ray Battalion and Sheila N. Trianni on Tuesday for their various achievements and contributions to the CNMI.

The presentation was held at the House chamber on Capital Hill.

The Manta Ray Battalion was honored with House Resolution 20-27 introduced by Rep. Alice S. Igitol (R-Saipan) after their successful run at the Golden Bear West Coast National Drill Meet last April 28 in Torrance, California where they went home with second place finishes in the Varsity Armed Color Guard and Armed Regulation Varsity.

The Mantas also placed fourth in the Four-Man Exhibition Varsity and fifth in the Outstanding Commander Varsity Armed.

The Kagman High School Ayuyu Battalion and the Tinian High School Stallion Battalion joined the Mantas in Torrance, forming the CNMI-Multi School Unit team that represented the Commonwealth in Torrance.

Team CNMI went home with the overall Golden Bear National Championship and the All-Army Championship Travelling trophies.

SSHS, KHS, and THS earned the right to represent the CNMI at Golden Bear after winning their respective events at the 2018 CNMI Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps Drill Competition at Marianas High School early this year.

Matthew Kapileo, Jhon Reyes, Marc Ruiz, Bert Magallano, Leonardo Sanchez, Jan Socorro, Miguel Quiambao, Kody Babauta, Emmanuel Aquino, Franz De Ramos, M.J. De Belen, Timothy Villanueva, June Alipio, Edwin Mactal, Roger Valencia, and Christy Aldan were the Manta Ray cadets that performed.

Senior JROTC instructor CSM (ret.) Richard Basa thanked the House for commending the children’s accomplishments. “These kids, with their hard work and dedication, actually put the CNMI on the map every time we show up in Torrance, California. So, they now know where the CNMI is.”

Trianni, meanwhile, was honored for her exceptional service in the field of law in the CNMI. She’s the Law Revision Commission executive director while also the CNMI Judiciary’s general counsel, former CNMI assistant attorney general, and the Office of the Public Auditor’s legal counsel.

Rep. Ivan A. Blanco (R-Saipan), who introduced H.R. 20-39, said Trianni oversaw the compilation and codification of all CNMI laws into the Commonwealth Code and the NMI Administrative Code.

She is also credited with improving the LRC’s website and enhancing the quality of legal resources available to the CNMI community.

“A few years ago, in order for legislators or any legal counsel to know what certain laws are, they had to go down at the LRC office and rummage through the books. Today, it is available at the touch of your fingertips online,” said Blanco.