TRO stops man from blocking Airport Road on Rota

Superior Court Associate Judge Joseph N. Camacho issued a temporary restraining order yesterday that stops an estate administrator from blocking Airport Road on Rota due to the government’s alleged non-payment for the taking of their private land.

Camacho issued the TRO after the CNMI government, through assistant attorney general Christopher M. Timmons, requested a TRO and filed a motion for preliminary injunction and a complaint against Simeon E. Taisacan, who is the administrator of the estate of Selvino A. Taisacan.

Camacho directed Taisacan and other persons in concert with him to refrain from blockading or interfering with the public’s use of the road.

“The threatened injury to the people of Rota is immediate and irreparable. It is irreparable because it will be impossible to determine the precise amount of damage to the safety and wellbeing of the public and in terms of the inconvenience caused to the public,” the judge said.

Camacho set the TRO hearing for March 6 at 10:30am at the Rota Courthouse.

Timmons stated that Taisacan wrote the Commonwealth Utilities Corp. on Feb. 17, threatening to close Airport Road on Rota on Sunday, March 1, at 8am.

Timmons said Taisacan also wrote on Sept. 24, 2014, a letter declaring the CNMI government under default and informed the government, private businesses, and the public that the same road will not be closed but that there will be a fee for those who wish to access the property.

Timmons said Taisacan has long asserted that the government took two parcels of their land to build Airport Road, but he, however, has not filed a lawsuit.

Timmons said Taisacan has a long history of harassing and interfering with CUC employees and that this harassment led to CUC filing a lawsuit against him in 2012.

Rota Mayor Efraim M. Atalig disclosed that he personally met with Taisacan last Feb. 18 in an effort to avert his threat.

“Taisacan was unwilling to discuss his threats with me,” said Atalig, adding that he believes Taisacan will indeed block Route 10, also known as Airport Road, on Sunday, if he is not restrained from doing so.

Timmons asked the court to permanently stop Taisacan from blockading or interfering with the public’s use of Airport Road.

According to Timmons, the estate of Selvino A. Taisacan owns two lots, which are part of Route 10. He said the two lots were subject to a dispute between the heirs of Selvino A. Taisacan and one Juan A. Hattori, an adjoining landowner.

Timmons said that on Nov. 15, 1985, Hattori and the Marianas Public Land Commission entered into a deed of exchange, by which Hattori transferred two lots to MPLC in exchange for another lot on Saipan.

Timmons said this deed that was recorded on Nov. 15, 1985, is valid and that one of the subject lot is owned by the Department of Public Lands as MPLC’s successor.

The lawyer said Airport Road is a major public thoroughfare that connects the Airport and Dugi and Sinapalo villages to Songsong village.

Although there is an alternative road to Songsong, portions of the alternate road have become dilapidated and practically impassable for smaller vehicles.

Timmons added that utilities such as water pipes and electricity lines run along Airport Road.