Propst demands statement from Torres

Construction workers of Gold Mantis Construction hold a protest rally yesterday near the Garapan Basketball Court. Although the banner in the photo says “MCC,” the Chinese characters written under MCC literally translates to Gold Mantis. The relationship between MCC and Gold Mantis Construction is still unclear. (Erwin Encinares)

A member of the Legislature has come out and challenged Gov. Ralph DLG Torres and other leaders of the CNMI yesterday to step up and make a statement regarding the ongoing construction firm fiasco.

In line with yesterday’s Gold Mantis Construction worker protest, Rep. Ed Propst (Ind-Saipan), who was also present during the MCC International Saipan Ltd. Company’s worker protest last Friday, told all members of the media yesterday that he demands a statement from Torres and Commonwealth Casino Commission executive director Edward Deleon Guerrero.

Propst questioned why Deleon Guerrero was silent on all of the happenings surrounding the ongoing casino construction, going so far as calling it a “black eye to the industry.”

“Why is the executive director of the CCC so silent on all of this? I know that he has been lobbying for an extension on the casino extension and for other things but how can he turn a blind eye? How can he turn away when there are essentially crimes being committed? It’s happening through the casino; sub-contractors should matter,” Propst told the media yesterday.

According to Propst, vendors interested in setting up in the casino require to submit to a background check along with a lengthy 60-page application just to do business with the casino. Propst asked why there wasn’t such “strict background checks for local companies doing business with the casino?”

“This is being broadcasted to the whole world,” said Propst, citing major news organizations that have covered the casino construction in the past.

“I demand that the governor make a statement; that the CCC executive director start making statements about this. This is ridiculous already. We can’t just turn a blind eye to this anymore,” said Propst.

Propst told media yesterday that he was working on a formal letter to question CCC’s actions—or lack of—regarding the pressing matters. According to Propst, CCC has stated that the construction workers were not under their jurisdiction.

“CCC has stated that this is really not their concern—that this is not their area and that this is the jurisdiction of other regulatory agencies. The last time Dept. of Labor Sec. Edith Deleon Guerrero [responded to the protests],” said Propst, later applauding the secretary for responding to the matter even though it was on Good Friday.

“The rest of the leadership of the CNMI cannot continue to turn a blind eye and pretend that this doesn’t exist; it’s really just insulting that here we are, an island trying to build a casino and yet we bring workers here illegally and are hired through companies that aren’t vetted,” he said.

Responding to CCC’s claim that they were waiting for the Federal Bureau of Investigation to conclude their investigation before CCC begins theirs, Propst said that’s not soon enough.

“How proactive can you be? You have investigators. You are the CCC. You are a regulatory body. Look at the regulatory bodies in the U.S., Singapore, Macau, and all the other places and see if they fraternize with the licensees. See if they do that. Fraternizing with your very own licensee is absolutely wrong. Where is the code of ethics?” asked Propst.