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Manglona says Fitial is the ‘desperate one’
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Posted on Apr 17 2012
Senate President Paul Manglona (Ind-Rota) said it’s Gov. Benigno R. Fitial that is desperate, adding that the governor’s statements are a lie.
He said he’s surprised that Fitial dragged candidate Felix Santos’s name when the latter has not even been elected to office.
Manglona is running with Felix Santos, who is vying for the lone House seat representing Rota, opposite his cousin, incumbent Rep. Teresita Santos (Ind-Rota), who is pairing with Victor Hocog with the full backing of the governor. Hocog is eyeing Manglona’s seat.
Manglona and Fitial have been feuding publicly since the governor called Rota and Tinian senators “stupid” for rejecting a House bill legalizing casino gaming on Saipan.
The Senate president said the amended local bill giving funding to Rota patients would in fact remove politics from the selection of which patients would get funding because they would be selected by independent persons.
“That’s why the delegation voted for it. It’s the right thing to do, adding that the delegation is considering options to override or revive the legislation. I wish Representative Santos had not asked the governor to veto that bill. She was the only one absent during a delegation session on Rota when the bill was unanimously approved,” he said.
Fitial on Friday reiterated that he has no qualms with making sure dialysis patients are taken cared of but he said he was forced to veto the bill because of the inclusion of a “dangerous” provision that would create another layer of bureaucracy.
“This provision aimed at politically picking which patients get funding is yet another concoction by the subsistence allowance expert. It is a pure shame that even for the well-being of dialysis patients, Senator Paul and his cohorts still look for ways to ensure that they can reap political benefits,” Fitial said.
The governor expressed grave disappointment regarding what he described as Manglona’s “latest attempt to engineer a family feud of sort by manipulating Felix Santos to run against his first cousin, incumbent Rep. Teresita Santos.”
