Inaugurations galore this Monday

The CNMI government officially turns a new leaf this Monday as inaugurations of the mayors of Saipan, Tinian, Rota, and Northern Islands as well as their respective municipal councils, members of the House of Representatives and the Senate, and the governor and lieutenant governor all take place on Capital Hill.

First to be sworn in is Tinian mayor-elect Joey Patrick San Nicolas at 9am at the Governor’s Office conference room. San Nicolas will take his oath of office with the Tinian and Aguigan Municipal Council composed of Diana Hocog Borja, Edwin Manglona Hofschneider, and Reynaldo Mendiola Cing.

It will be followed at 9:15am by the inauguration ceremony for Rota officials led by mayor-elect Efraim Manglona Atalig and the island’s municipal council members: George Ogo Hocog, Roman Mendiola Hocog, and Ivan Mareb Jr.

It will be the turn of Northern Islands mayor-elect Francisco Jerome Kaipat Aldan and Saipan and Northern Islands Municipal Council at 9:30am. Council members include Lareina Castro Camacho, Antonio Manibusan Tudela, and Alice Santos Igitol.

The 9:45am slot, meanwhile, is open for the swearing in of Saipan mayor-elect David Mundo Apatang.

The 19th Legislature, for its part, has set its inauguration at 10am at the Jesus P. Mafnas Memorial Building on Capitol Hill.

The incoming House members include 18th House Speaker Joseph Deleon Guerrero (Ind-Saipan), floor leader Ralph Demapan (R-Saipan), Saipan and Northern Islands Legislative Delegation chair Ramon Tebuteb (Ind-Saipan), and Reps. Antonio Sablan (Ind-Saipan), John Paul Sablan (R-Saipan), Anthony Benavente (Ind-Saipan), Roman Benavente (Ind-Saipan), Edmund Villagomez (Ind-Saipan), Felicidad Ogumoro (Ind-Saipan), Ralph N. Yumul (Ind-Saipan), Lorenzo Deleon Guerrero (Ind-Saipan), George Camacho (R-Saipan), and freshmen representatives Edwin Propst, Edwin Aldan, Francis Taimanao, Vinson Sablan, Angel Demapan, Joseph “Leepan” T. Guerrero, Glenn L. Maratita, and Blas Jonathan “BJ” Attao.

The 19th Senate, meanwhile, will be made up of incoming Senate President Victor Hocog (Ind-Rota), incoming Senate vice president Frank Borja (Ind-Tinian), Lt. Gov. Jude U. Hofschneider who is returning to the upper chamber, Sens. Sixto Igisomar (R-Saipan) and Frank Cruz (R-Saipan) as well as freshmen senators Arnold Palacios, Teresita Santos, Justo Quitigua, and Steven K. Mesngon.

Gov. Eloy S. Inos and lieutenant governor-elect Ralph DLG. Torres will be sworn in as the Commonwealth’s top executives beginning 3pm at the west lawn of the Governor’s Office.

The day before the inauguration, the governor- and lieutenant governor-elect will attend a Red Mass at the Mount Carmel Cathedral in Chalan Kanoa. On the evening of the inauguration, Inos and Torres will be hosting a People’s Inaugural Fiesta beginning at 6pm at the Fiesta Resort & Spa Saipan. The event is invitation-only and the attire is formal.