Previous Story
House, Senate to sine die next week
The 18th Legislature will formally fold up next week with the House of Representatives having its sine die on Tuesday, Jan. 6, while the Senate will have its own on Thursday, Jan. 8. Both chambers will start their final sessions beginning 10am.
Of the 20 members of the 18th House of Representatives, only 12 will be returning in the 19th House—House Speaker Joseph P. Deleon Guerrero (Ind-Saipan), floor leader Rafael S. Demapan (R-Saipan), and Reps. Anthony T. Benavente (Ind-Saipan), Roman C. Benavente (Ind-Saipan), George N. Camacho (R-Saipan), Lorenzo I. Deleon Guerrero (Ind-Saipan), Felicidad T. Ogumoro (R-Saipan), Antonio P. Sablan (Ind-Saipan), John Paul Sablan (R-Saipan), Ramon A. Tebuteb (Ind-Saipan), Edmund S. Villagomez (Ind-Saipan), and Ralph N. Yumul (Ind-Saipan).
Vice Speaker Francisco S. Dela Cruz (Ind-Saipan) and Reps. Antonio R. Agulto (Ind-Saipan), Christopher D. Leon Guerrero (Ind-Saipan), Mariano Taitano (Ind-Saipan), and Richard B. Seman (R-Saipan) all lost their reelection bids at the House, while Janet U. Maratita (Ind-Saipan) and Trenton B. Conner (Ind-Tinian) were not successful in their Senate bids. Rep. Teresita A. Santos (R-Rota), for her part, will be a freshman senator in the 19th Senate.
In the Senate, only four—Vice President Victor B. Hocog (R-Rota) and Sens. Francisco M. Borja (Ind-Tinian), Francisco Q. Cruz (R-Tinian), and Sixto Igisomar (R-Saipan)—will be returning for the 19th Legislature, as their terms are not up until the mid-term polls. Igisomar won the special election last Nov. 4 to take over the unexpired term of former floor leader Ray Yumul.
Those who will be adieu include Senate President Ralph DLG. Torres (R-Saipan) and Sens. Jovita M. Taimanao, Joaquin H. Borja (Ind-Tinian), Paul A. Manglona, and floor leader Pete Reyes (Ind-Saipan). Torres is the CNMI’s lieutenant governor-elect, Reyes opted to retire, while Taimanao, Manglona, and Borja lost their reelection bids.
Technically, sine die means the indefinite adjournment of a body, without a day being fixed for a further meeting. It is, however, also commonly used to refer to the last day and the official closing of business of a legislative body.
