Rota delegation looks into medical, K9 assistance

The Rota Legislative Delegation is asking for an update on the medical subsistence that their medical referral patients are entitled to and the interisland K-9 unit that would help prevent the entry of illegal substances to the CNMI’s southernmost island.

Delegation chair Sen. Paul A. Manglona (Ind-Rota) recently wrote Finance Secretary Larrisa Larson a list of Rota’s medical referral patients who are lawfully entitled to medical subsistence as of January 2019.

That entitlement is outlined in Section 2 (a) of Rota Local Law 20-8 and R.L.L. 20-10.

R.L.L. 20-8 appropriates $1.4 million to Rota pursuant to Public Law 18-56 or the Exclusive Gaming License Act.

In a memorandum to the RLD members, Senate legal counsel Jose A. Bermudes reviewed the appropriation for the medical subsistence allowance and disbursed founds and determined that the MSA is owed a balance of $73,636.

In a separate letter to Department of Public Safety Commissioner Robert Guerrero and CNMI Division of Customs director Jose Mafnas, Manglona said Public Law 19-86, or the Inter-island Ports of Entry Drug Detection Act, was signed into law due to the prevalence of illegal substances like methamphetamine or ice in the CNMI.

“The [CNMI] Legislature believes that drugs continue to harm communities and destroy families. P.L. 19-86 was passed to mandate [Customs] to help [DPS] in its strategies to crack down on drugs as DPS cannot fight this ‘war on ice’ alone. Through this law, [Customs] must come together in collaboration to truly make an impact in the effort to eradicate drugs in our borders,” said Manglona.

P.L. 19-86 mandates the local Customs to have K-9 drug detection units for all inter-island commuter flight and seaports entries in order to continue the fight against illegal drugs in the Commonwealth.

“Currently, [Customs] enforces our borders through the use of K-9 units solely on Saipan. [Rota Customs’] K-9 program, although only for incoming Guam flights, has not been operational after its only drug canine was transferred to Saipan back in 2012,” said Manglona.

“The use of K-9 units to conduct drug detection [on] Rota and Tinian would deter the smuggling of drugs using inter-island commuter routes,” he added.

Manglona said that the delegation has appropriated $24,000 for a K-9 certification training of the dog handler as stated in R.L.L. 20-8, and they are hoping to get an update on the K-9 unit program from DPS and Customs.