Propst seeks 3rd term, ex-DOC chief files candidacy for House seat

Rep. Edwin K. Propst (Ind-Saipan) and former Department of Corrections commissioner Lino Tenorio, both independents, have filed their candidacies for the House of Representatives under precinct 1.

Propst is seeking his third term for the House of Representative, while it is Tenorio’s first attempt to join politics. They filed their candidacies at the Commonwealth Election Commission in Susupe Friday morning.

Propst and Tenorio were surrounded at CEC by former governpr Juan N. Babauta and Dr. Rita Sablan, along with some independent candidates, family members, supporters and friends.

Babauta and Sablan are running as independents for governor and lieutenant governor, respectively, for the Nov. 6 general election.

Precinct 1 covers San Antonio, San Vicente, and Koblerville. There are six House seats for this precinct.

Propst said he is seeking a third term because he firmly believes that there’s still a lot of work to be done.

“And I want to continue to be a public servant leader and a representative of the people, fighting for their best interests, ensuring that we’re putting the peoples’ interest first not special interests,” Propst said.

The lawmaker vowed to continue to advocate for bills that benefit everyone rather than a few.

“I will continue to oppose special interests bills such as the 80 percent salary increase, a lavish salary increases for appointed officials while only giving our people literally pennies,” he said.

Propst said the salary increases that they originally supported for the 5 percent, they are being told from several of civil service employees that they did not get the full 5 percent.

“All the more reason why we need to reject the 80 percent salary increase and that nobody, none of us, should take it especially during these times of uncertainty,” he said.

On several independent candidates running this November election, Propst described it as “wonderful.”

“I wish we can have more people run,” said Propst, adding that that is why his bill that he pushed for actually support more people running.

“I actually pushed to minimize the mandated time that government employees will have to take leave so that they can run,” he said, citing that it is one of the 17 bills that he has been introduced so far.

For Tenorio, he is running because he wants to “make a change for the better.”

Tenorio said first, he would be really supporting the Department of Public Safety in its overall view of how to go about providing public safety to the people in the community.

“If we, the Legislature, can help support, give more funding to DPS, and DPS in turn can end up expanding their department and really revive programs that have been stagnant for many years,” said Tenorio, who used to serve as DPS deputy commissioner for operations from 1994 to 1998.

Tenorio said he will support for additional funding to raise the salary of the police officers and to provide more trainings for them as well.

“I would like to see that there are going to be more commitment by the leaders to provide and revive community outreach programs to our children in the community,” he said.

Tenorio said youth centers like in Dandan and Koblerville and maybe even in San Antonio have to be revisited and have to be revamped.

“Fixed up to the point where we can have somebody assigned to work over there. So the people in the community, from parish to children, the youth, can spend their time over there. They can bring in all their talents,” he said.

Meanwhile, Alexander A. Apatang filed his candidacy last Thursday as a non-partisan for the Rota Municipal Council. He submitted his petition for nomination to CEC director Leilani Manglona.