Inos in PH hospital for ‘routine procedure’

Lt. Gov. Jude U. Hofschneider has been serving as acting governor of the CNMI after Gov. Eloy S. Inos left for the Philippines last week for a “routine procedure” at an undisclosed hospital in Metro Manila.

Acting press secretary Ivan Blanco confirmed with Saipan Tribune last night that the 65-year-old Inos is currently in the Philippines after leaving Saipan “last Tuesday or Wednesday.”

“It’s just a routine follow-up or procedure. He has to be back on the 24th because that evening we need to fly to Rota for the [CNMI Republican Party campaign] kickoff. He’s going to be back after two weeks. He was in good spirits when he left the islands,” said Blanco in a phone interview.

He said governor was scheduled to have the minor health procedure for months but had to put it off because of his busy schedule.

“He has been putting it off because of the typhoon and the casino things. He should have had this thing done long ago. His health is OK and we only ask the people to remember him in prayer as he undergoes this minor procedure.”

Blanco said Inos’ health has always been an open book. As reported earlier by Saipan Tribune, the governor has been receiving dialysis treatment thrice a week.

Inos’ political opponents have been making this an issue against him in the Nov. 4 general elections.

This is Inos’ first time to seek election as governor. He is running with Senate President Ralph Torres (R-Saipan) as his lieutenant governor candidate. The other gubernatorial candidates are former governor Juan N. Babauta, an independent; former speaker Heinz S. Hofschneider, also an independent; and former Commonwealth Ports Authority executive director Edward “Tofila” Deleon Guerrero.

Inos’ predecessor, Fitial, also received medical treatment while in office. Fitial, who underwent surgery to correct spinal stenosis, was at times in a wheelchair but continued to govern and managed to get re-elected.

A former Finance secretary and lieutenant governor, Inos’ rise to power was unprecedented in CNMI history when Fitial resigned on Feb. 20, 2013, in the midst of impeachment proceedings against him on charges of corruption, felony, and neglect of duty.

Hofschneider off to Rota

Blanco, meanwhile, said that acting governor Hofschneider would be visiting Rota today to inspect the damage brought by Typhoon Vongfong a week ago, Oct. 6.

“Acting governor wants to go down there to see first hand what happened and what’s taking the [damage] assessment so long,” said the acting PIO.

Accompanying Hofschneider on the trip is Homeland Security & Emergency Management special adviser Marvin Seman, Attorney General Gil Birnbrich, and Blanco himself.

The government is expected to verify whether the damage sustained on the island when totaled with the damage on Tinian and Saipan will breach the $1-million threshold that will quality the CNMI to request for federal disaster funding from President Barrack Obama.