David Sablan

The U.S. District Court for the NMI gave lawyer Janet H. King more time yesterday to review documents for the detention hearing of her client, David Muña Sablan, who is facing charges related to two bags he left behind in Garapan that allegedly contained chemicals and items used in manufacturing crystal methamphetamine or “ice.”

The detention hearing was moved to Monday, March 26, at 1:30pm.

King, the court-appointed counsel for Sablan, informed the court that she has not seen the pretrial services report about Sablan. That report discussed Sablan’s past criminal history and failure to appear.

Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona said that moving the detention hearing would give King more time to not only review the report but also to obtain further information whether to challenge or submit separate evidence that would support her contention that Sablan should be released.

Sablan was in full restraints at the hearing. The need to place him on full restraint was not explained.

Assistant U.S. attorney Garth Backe appeared for the U.S. government.

The U.S. Marshal Service served the warrant of arrest on Sablan last Thursday, March 15, after the Drug Enforcement Administration filed a criminal complaint charging him with conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine.

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From left, 2018 Pacific Century Fellows-Marianas Chapter fellows Norman Del Rosario (IT&E), Mark Rabago (Saipan Tribune), Charlie Rivera (Tropical Instant Press, Inc.), Christian Delos Santos (Marianas Visitors Authority), Raymond Zapanta (Tan Siu Lin Foundation), Cody Ash (Bridge Capital LLC), Natashia Tomokane (IT&E), Joshua Wise (PHI Pharmacy), Katherine Mersai (William S. Reyes Elementary School), Maxine Laszlo (Commonwealth Advocates for Recovery Efforts), Jamika Taijeron (DFS Saipan Ltd.), Ryan Meyerhoff (CNMI Law Revision Commission), and Melanie Santos (TakeCare Insurance). (Contributed Photo)

The Pacific Century Fellows-Marianas Chapter welcomed its fifth cycle of fellows in an opening retreat over the weekend, March 17-18, at the Kanoa Resort.

A total of 13 fellows from both the public and private sectors are in the 2018 roster of the Marianas chapter and they include Cody Ash (Bridge Capital LLC), Norman Del Rosario (IT&E), Christian Delos Santos (Marianas Visitors Authority), Maxine Laszlo (Commonwealth Advocates for Recovery Efforts), Katherine Mersai (William S. Reyes Elementary School), Ryan Meyerhoff (CNMI Law Revision Commission), Mark Rabago (Saipan Tribune), Charlie Rivera (Tropical Instant Press, Inc.), Melanie Santos (TakeCare Insurance), Jamika Taijeron (DFS Saipan Ltd.), Natashia Tomokane (IT&E), Joshua Wise (PHI Pharmacy), and Raymond Zapanta (Tan Siu Lin Foundation).

The fellows, who hurdled a selection process that included a panel interview, opened the weekend retreat last Saturday with a brief introduction from Alex Sablan, PCF-Marianas Chapter vice chairman.

Sablan talked about what is required of the fellows during the nine-month program, which includes off-island trips to Hawaii and Guam.

PCF-Marianas Chapter chair Jerry Tan also explained why he established the PCF-Marianas Chapter in 2014.

“Success of a country, a community, a company, a family, and even a sports team is always a result of having ‘strong leadership.’ Thus, the primary objective and mission of Pacific Century Fellows is to groom our young professionals to become future leaders of the CNMI,” he said.

Mufi Hannemann, former mayor of Honolulu and founder of Pacific Century Fellows of Hawaii, the program where PCF-Marianas was modeled after, also gave a presentation on “Mufi’s Maxims”—a set of ideals and everyday practices he applied in his responsibilities as mayor of Honolulu—and leadership tenets.

Hannemann said he’s proud of how PCF-Marianas has grown since 2014.

“It is extremely gratifying for me to witness the growth and development of the Pacific Century Fellows program in the Marianas. To see so many of the graduates of the last four classes go beyond their fellowship year and become contributing and productive members of the Commonwealth is a great indication of things to come in the future. Like our PCF experience in Hawaii where the program started, it has surpassed the expectations I had when we first embarked on this venture,” he said.

The PCF founder also had good words to say about the 2018 batch of fellows and wished them good luck for the next nine months.

“This latest PCF class of 2018 promises to be another outstanding group of talented young leaders. I was impressed with the desire, energy, and ideas that they brought forth at their opening retreat. Hats off to Jerry Tan and his hardworking staff for their excellent work in support of the PCF-Marianas Chapter,” he added.

The weekend retreat continued in the afternoon with the fellows selecting the topics for their once-a-month, whole-day sessions.

The topics selected were CNMI Government (April), Tourism and Gaming (May), Healthcare and Humanitarian Services (June), Infrastructure and Environment (August), Protecting our Homeland (September), and Education and Workforce Development (October). The fellows will go to Guam in July and Hawaii in November.

After dinner at Fiesta Resort & Spa Saipan’s Mai Restaurant, the fellows moseyed down to SandCastle Saipan where they were mesmerized by the Las Vegas-style magic show of illusionist Leon Etienne.

The second and last day of the retreat on Sunday had the 13 fellows motoring up to the island’s highest peak—Mount Tapochao—via a rough-and-tumble ride aboard Razrs UTVs courtesy of Let’s Go Tour Company.

The weekend retreat actually kicked off a day earlier on Friday with mixer at the Nami Lounge of Kanoa Resort that was attended by the 2018 fellows and some of the 58 members of the PCF-Marianas Chapter alumni.

During the event, Waikiki Improvement Association president Rick Egged talked about how community involvement helped make Waikiki one of the most popular travel and leisure destinations in the world.

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The Commonwealth Election Commission will conduct a voter registration drive at the Kagman High School library in order to accommodate students who will be turning 18 years old before the Nov. 6 election.

CEC executive director Julita Villagomez said yesterday the voter registration drive will be from 11am to 3pm. It is being made at the request of a Kagman High School teacher.

The registration will also be open to the parents as well as other members of the community who want to register.

Villagomez said the registration will address the concerns that the CEC office in Susupe is far from Kagman and that most students have after-school programs.

“We’re promoting our registration to increase the number of registered voters,” she said, hinting that they are open to holding the same drive at other public and private high schools.

Villagomez asked the students and community to make sure to bring a copy of their birth certificate certified by the court, a valid U.S. passport, or naturalization documents to show proof of their citizenship.

CEC said a person is eligible to vote when he/she is 18 years old or older on Nov. 6, 2018, is domiciled in the CNMI, has resided in the CNMI for 120 days prior to the day of the election, is not serving a sentence for a felony conviction, has not been declared by a court to be judicially insane, and is either a citizen or national of the U.S, as defined in the NMI Constitution.

Previously registered voters who have failed to vote in the 2014 and 2016 general elections must re-register to be eligible to vote at the Nov. 6, 2018 election.

As of yesterday, she said, there are 16,696 registered voters in the CNMI, including 135 new ones this year.

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A two-story house located along Anita Avenue in Chalan Kanoa was completely destroyed after the fire. Wilfredo “Boy” Ching and his family have been staying the house for 18 years. (Ferdie de la Torre)

Beverly Camacho and Claudine Atalig, both volunteers of the American Red Cross-NMI Chapter, responded to a home fire on Anita Avenue in Chalan Kanoa early Tuesday morning.

The Red Cross provided immediate emergency needs for food clothing and shelter.

In total, five families (comprising 18 individuals) were assisted by the American Red Cross, including the occupants of the dwellings that were destroyed by the fire, as well as residents near the incident who were unable to remain in their homes due to toxic smoke in the area.

“We’re deeply saddened for those who were impacted by these fires,” said J.D. Tenorio, the Emergency Services director for the NMI Chapter of the American Red Cross. “As we continue to help them, we urge everyone to take steps to minimize the risk of a fire occurring in their home.”

Home fire campaign

Seven times a day someone in this country dies in a fire. The Red Cross has been working to reduce that number through its Home Fire Campaign, a multi-year effort to reduce the number of home fire deaths and injuries by 25 percent. Launched in October of 2014, the campaign has already saved many lives and installed hundreds of thousands of smoke alarms in nearly 10,000 cities and towns.

Here in the CNMI, the Red Cross has installed nearly 500 smoke alarms throughout Saipan, Tinian, and Rota since October of 2017. The Red Cross will continue its efforts throughout this year visiting neighborhoods and installing more smoke alarms on all three the islands.

Simple steps to save lives

The Red Cross is calling on everyone to take two simple steps that can save lives: practice fire drills at home and check existing smoke alarms.

There are several things families and individuals can do to increase their chances of surviving a fire:

-If someone doesn’t have smoke alarms, install them. At a minimum, put one on every level of the 
home, inside bedrooms and outside sleeping areas. Local building codes vary and there may be 
additional requirements where someone lives. 


-If someone does have alarms, test them today. If they don’t work, replace them. 


-Make sure that everyone in the family knows how to get out of every room and how to get out of 
the home in less than two minutes. 


Practice the fire escape plan. What’s the household’s escape time? 


Red Cross apps

People can download the all-inclusive Red Cross Emergency app, which combines more than 35 emergency alerts to help keep the user safe.

And there is a special mobile app—Monster Guard—designed for children, teaching them to prepare for emergencies at home by playing an engaging game. Users can find the apps in smartphone app stores by searching for the American Red Cross or going to redcross.org/apps.

What people can do

People can visit redcross.org/homefires to find out more about how to protect themselves and their loved homes from fire.

They can become a Red Cross volunteer by contacting the local chapter office at (670) 234-3459 or by visiting our website at www.redcross.org/nmi.

They can also help by donating to Red Cross disaster relief by visiting redcross.org. Donations to disaster relief will be used to prepare for, respond to and help people recover from disasters big and small.

We respond to nearly 64,000 other disasters every year and most of these are home fires. (ARC)

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Businessman David Trung Quoc Phan is appealing to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit his eight-month prison sentence after being convicted for his role in a scheme to bring Bangladeshi men to Saipan on promises of jobs and green cards in exchange for cash.

Phan notified the U.S. District Court for the NMI on Wednesday about his appeal. He wants the Ninth Circuit to reverse District Court for the NMI designated Judge John Coughenour’s judgment issued last Friday, March 16. The notice did not indicate Phan’s grounds for the appeal.

The U.S. government had recommended a sentence of 30 months in prison for Phan but the judge sentenced him to just eight months.

Shortly after the sentencing hearing last March 9, his lawyer, Steven Pixley, said they are happy with the shorter sentence, that the judge considered all the factors and found that Phan’s role was minimal as he never went to Bangladesh and that it was very clear he was not involved in money transactions.

Pixley said Phan, however, has an option to appeal.

Last March 9, Coughenour sentenced the 54-year-old Phan to eight months in prison, to be followed by two years of supervised release.

Coughenour did not require Phan to pay restitution to the victims because he determined that the businessman has no direct involvement in collecting recruitment fees from them.

Phan was ordered to pay $600 in special assessment fee.

Last Oct. 18, the jury found Phan guilty of two counts of mail fraud, three counts of fraud in foreign labor contracting, and one count of fraud and misuse of visas and permits.

Phan’s co-defendant, Muksedur Rahman, was found guilty of two counts of mail fraud and three counts of fraud in foreign labor contracting. He was sentenced to 48 months imprisonment, to be followed by two years of supervised release.

A third defendant, Mohammed Rafiqul Islam, was found guilty of one count of mail fraud and three counts of fraud in foreign labor contracting. He was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release.

Islam, together with Rahman, was ordered to pay $188,426 in restitution to the victims. He is also appealing to the Ninth Circuit. Islam and Rahman are brothers.

Phan’s fiancée, Analyn Nunez, and Rahman’s wife, Shahinur Akter, were acquitted. Defendant Zeaur Rahman Dalu pleaded guilty, but he has yet to be sentenced.

According to the U.S. government, each of the victims paid over $10,000, but when they arrived on Saipan in April of 2016, they were not given work as promised.
The government named five victims, all Bangladeshi men.

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Northern Marianas College will be live streaming the upcoming CNMI Women’s Summit scheduled for March 26-27, 2018, from 8am to 4:30pm, at the Pedro P. Tenorio Multi-Purpose Center.

The two-day event will feature Monika H. Diaz as keynote speaker, and will include panel discussions, activities, along with the exhibits. 

Those who are not able to attend the event in person can watch the live stream online.

Day 1:  https://youtu.be/l9O-hhG8Dfk

– 9am: Women & Faith, feat. Bishop Ryan Jimenez, pastor Beth Nunez, and Sr. Mary Ann Hartman, MMB

– 10:15am: Women & The Workforce, feat. Labor Secretary Vicky Benavente, Office of Personnel Management director Sid Seman, and Northern Marianas Trades Institute chief executive officer Agnes McPhetres

– 1pm: Women & Education, feat NMC president Dr. Carmen Fernandez, Coastal States Organization director Rose Pangelinan, and Workers’ Compensation Commission director Frank Cabrera 

Day 2: https://youtu.be/bBSIUkBgtUk

– 8:05am: Women & The Economy, feat. Hotel Association of the Northern Mariana Islands president Gloria Cavanagh, Saipan Chamber of Commerce president Velma Palacios, Commerce Secretary Mark Rabauliman, CNMI Small Business Development Center director Nicole Babauta, Pacifica Insurance president Shirley Sablan

– 9:10am: Women & Public Service, feat. Rep. Janet Maratita, former representative Ana S. Teregeyo, former representative Maria T. Peter, and former representative Felicidad T. Ogumoro

– 12:30pm: Women & Health, feat. Breast and Cervical Screening Program coordinator Joyce M. Songsong, Commonwealth Guidance Center psychologist Glenda George, senior vice president of Westcare Sarah Thomas Nededog 

– 1:35 pm: Women & Culture, feat. retired educator Carmen Taimanao, facilitator of Family & Values Project Chailang Palacios.

Complimentary refreshments and lunch will be provided on both days. 

For more information or to register for the event, call 233-9411 or email Doly at cwa.dofitial@gmail.com. 

Registration forms can also be accessed online at https://www.facebook.com/cnmiwomen/ or in-person at the Garapan Community Development Center.
The 5th Annual Women’s Summit is sponsored by the CNMI Women’s Association and the Women’s Affairs Office. (PR)

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The CNMI celebrates tomorrow a milestone that was crossed about 42 years ago that gave the Northern Mariana Islands its status as a commonwealth.

On March 24, 1976, the U.S government signed the agreement known as the Covenant Agreement that allowed the Northern Mariana Islands to enter into a political union with the United States, but with the right to local self-government. That day has since become known as Covenant Day.

However, since then, many no longer remember the day’s importance. The Saipan Tribune went out to ask what exactly Covenant Day means to the islands today.

—

“Covenant Day means a lot to our people. Our forefathers met with the United States delegation to negotiate our Commonwealth and what we can and cannot control.”
—Saipan Mayor David Apatang

“It [Covenant Day] was a historical event for the people of the CNMI. The Covenant is an agreement which established the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands. It established a political union with the United States.”
—Joann Aquino, Saipan Mayor’s Office

“Covenant Day was when we became a part of the United States and it was the day we were given U.S. citizenship. The Covenant also paved the way for us to establish our constitution.”
—Larissa Flores, Saipan Mayor’s Office

“Covenant Day signifies the Commonwealth’s relationship with the United States and our United States citizenship.
—Henry Hofschneider, Saipan Mayor’s Office

“Covenant Day is a time when I reflect on the struggles of past generations and the measures they took to choose a political status for the indigenous people of the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas. It also opened up closer political ties with the United States and opened up a dialogue in the United States House of Representative by giving the CNMI a seat in the House of Representatives through the enactment of legislation.”
—Danny Aquino, CNMI Museum

“Covenant Day is significant because, with the signing of the Covenant came a variety of opportunities for the islands’ indigenous people as a result of the U.S. citizenship that came with the establishment of the Commonwealth.”
—Hanzel Campollo Batan, DFS Galleria

“I know that, if it were not for Covenant Day, we wouldn’t have all the amazing benefits that were once only exclusive to Americans. Today means celebration of our freedom.”
—Jose Marks, San Jose

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Drought in the Northern Mariana Islands is expected to worsen in the next couple of weeks, according to a notice yesterday from the National Weather Service Forecast Office out of Tiyan, Guam.

The NWS notice said that satellite images show very dry weather over the Mariana Islands and remain in short-term moderate drought, called Drought Level 1 of 4. Some showers have fallen recently; however, much drier weather is expected to develop during the next few weeks.

There has been a rash of grassfires in the CNMI in the last few weeks. A house in Chalan Kanoa went up in flames this week.

With the expectation of moderate to occasionally strong trade winds over most of Micronesia in the next couple of months, the Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Management is advising CNMI residents to refrain from outdoor burning activities so as not to cause wildfires and endanger surrounding life and property.

The Office of HSEM advises to take all necessary precautionary measures at this time; all outdoor burning activity is not recommended and should be delayed.

Visit the following links for the latest advisory information:

– NWS Website: http://www.prh.noaa.gov/guam/

– NWS Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NWSGuam/

– CNMI EOC State Warning Point Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cnmieocswp/ (PR, With Saipan Tribune)

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During a recent trip to Guam to attend the Guam Forum, CNMI Technical Services Division director Anthony A. Camacho, Highway administrator Lorraine M. Seman, and Federal Program coordinators Lauren DLC. Sanchez and Stacyann Atalig met with Richelle Takara, Federal Highway deputy administrator from Hawaii and Bruce Johnson, senior project manager from Black Micro, to discuss and view the presentation for the Route 36 highway project, which is from Kingfisher to Bird Island—a total of 3.7 miles. Because of the large amount of funding shortfall based on the bid submitted, DPW TSD is working to secure more funding so that they will be able to proceed with this long-awaited project. (Contributed Photo)

The Department of Public Works was appalled by the recent accusations of Delegate Gregorio Kilili C. Sablan (Ind-MP) in suggesting that the Department of Public Works is not performing its duties. 

“This is unfortunate and very disappointing coming from our [delegate]. What he should have done is communicate with our office to at least understand how the program is being administered.  DPW has formulated a four-year Transportation Improvement Plan from year 2016 through 2020 under the appropriation of the FAST-ACT from U.S. Congress, which has been approved by our territorial representative from the Federal Highway Administration in Hawaii,” said Anthony A. Camacho, director of Technical Services.

“Had…Sablan taken the time to understand, it will clearly show that the yearly appropriation of $3.8 million is barely enough to complete one project that is listed in our TTIP. The Transportation Improvement Plan will give him a better idea of how we distribute funds to the islands of Saipan, Tinian and Rota in order to facilitate continuous improvements on all three islands,” he added.

Public Works Secretary James A. Ada noted that FHWA funds have already been obligated for various projects.

“If…Sablan took the time to talk with us and review our TTIP, he and his staff would have saw that the CNMI has been moving forward with proposed projects with completed Plans, Specifications and Estimates amounting to over $60 million, which includes reconstruction of Route 33 Beach Road; construction of Route 302 Naftan Drive; construction of Route 304 Kagman Drive; hazard elimination project in Rota Route 10; Sabana Road Route 103 Phase II; and hazard elimination projects in Tinian Phase II.

“What…Sablan needs to understand is we need more funds to complete these projects than the amount of funds he is talking about. DPW has said this before and will say it again: [Delegate] Sablan should help us look for new money and not worry about the existing formula grant funding. In fact, the last time the CNMI received discretionary funds of $12 million for road projects clearly were not from his efforts,” Ada added.

Ada emphasized that the “unobligated” funds are from various federal highway projects that have been funded, completed, and have a remaining balance. 

“This means that all encumbrances were paid, the project has been accepted and closed out by the government.  Upon final closure, all remaining balances are reverted back to Federal Highway for reconciliation.  After the financial review is cleared, funds are once again availed for CNMI to re-obligate. The recent financial report received from FHWA is as of Jan. 24, 2018.”

Ada further noted that DPW was not even aware of Sablan’s letter dated Jan. 31, 2018. 

“On March 20, 2018, it was brought to DPW’s attention by Sen. Sixto Igisomar (R-Saipan), chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Utilities, Transportation and Communication regarding FHWA funding. We thank…Igisomar, Senate President Arnold Palacios, and PUTC vice chair Justo Quitugua for taking time to meet with DPW regarding the congressman’s letter. Between January and March, neither Sablan nor any of his office staff contacted or visited DPW to inquire about the unobligated funds,” he said.

Highway administrator Lorraine Seman stated that the process of obligating FHWA funding is not difficult and that it is important that all obligated funds are also spent within the “Period of Performance.”

“If an obligation remains dormant, then FHWA reports reflect them as ‘inactive obligations.’ …Sablan failed to state that the CNMI’s active obligation record with the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration’s most recent quarterly report shows that the CNMI has exceeded the national requirement for ‘inactive obligation’ of 2 percent.  The CNMI has the percentile of 0.1 percent, with Guam at 14.4 percent and American Samoa at 22.8 percent.  The other territories have obligated all their funding, however, they have not met the 2-percent national inactive expenditure obligation.  This is based on the annual apportionment.  All obligations with no expenditure activity for 12 months or more are considered inactive by U.S. DOT FHWA,” Seman said.

Seman noted that Federal Highway funds may be reduced, suspended, diverted or approval of new federal funds may be withheld should a state or territory continue to fail to meet the 2 percent national inactivity requirement within its 12 months authorized, which is not the case of the CNMI.

“All funds are under the oversight and stewardship of Federal Highway and no funds can be expended without the pre-approval signature stamp from the territorial representative out of Hawaii. We welcome…Sablan to visit our office and hopefully he does take the time to fully understand and clear up this misinformation. If he needs to review our records, we are more than happy to avail our time for him. Our FHWA territorial representative will be on island on the week of April 2 to 6 to conduct a program review and will also be meeting with government officials,” she added.

For his part, Gov. Ralph DLG. Torres said that DPW has expended and exceeded the national requirement for Federal Highway funding use and completion.

“The accusations [of] our congressman is unwarranted and out of line because he failed to perform his due diligence in understanding how federal dollars are spent under the Federal Highway Administration. In fact, the FHWA has commended DPW’s team of engineers, not once but twice in the past year for their effective funding utilization. The CNMI has even surpassed American Samoa and Guam in addressing inactive obligations. While our infrastructure needs in the Commonwealth are growing…Sablan has not been able to help secure more funding to aid the work already being done for our infrastructure. The strong relationship DPW has made with FHWA over the years has allowed for more federal funding to be obligated to projects that have been sitting idle under past administrations for years,” Torres said.

“I am very disappointed in our congressman’s inaccurate claims that serve nothing more than to undermine the hard work and progress that our DPW engineers and employees do every single day. These false claims are a disservice to our community.” (PR)

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From left: Building superintendent Gerald E. Weaver, law clerk Olga Y. Bykov, chief marshal Jason T. Tarkong, Presiding Judge Roberto C. Naraja, associate justice John A. Manglona, Gov. Ralph DLG. Torres, Chief Justice Alexandro C. Castro, associate justice Perry B. Inos, associate judge Teresa K. Kim-Tenorio, Attorney General Edward Manibusan, CIP administrator Elizabeth Balajadia, assistant attorney general Gilbert Birnbrich, Budget and Finance director John T. Villagomez, general counsel and LRC director Sheila N. Trianni, and director of Courts Sonia A. Camacho met to discuss the Judiciary’s continuity of operations plan following air-conditioning equipment failure at the Guma’ Hustisia on Saipan. (Contributed Photo)

Officials and members of the CNMI Judiciary led by Chief Justice Alexandro C. Castro and Presiding Judge Roberto C. Naraja met with Gov. Ralph DLG Torres on Thursday, March 22, 2018, to discuss efforts to restore full public services at the Guma’ Hustisia in Susupe, following the recent air-conditioning system failure.

Attorney General Edward Manibusan and CIP Administrator Elizabeth S. Balajadia were also in attendance.

The Guma’ Hustisia is closed to the public for now.

Judiciary operations and court services are made available at alternative locations. Such locations will be utilized until the air-conditioning system at the Judiciary is fully restored.

Commonwealth Recorder services are scheduled for the Pedro P. Tenorio Multi-Purpose Center in Susupe. Cashier services and the Office of the Clerk of Court are set up to issue police and traffic clearances at the satellite office of the Adult Probation and Supervision, which is behind the Bureau of Motor Vehicles in Susupe.

Similarly, child support payments, bail, traffic, and probation fines and fees can be paid at OAPS’ satellite office.

Law Revision Commission services are also available at OAPS’ satellite office.

Offices for the Family Court Division and Drug Court Division are at the Department of Public Safety’s training offices in Susupe.

Court sessions will be held at the Multi-Purpose Center in Susupe and at the U.S. District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands at the Horiguchi building in Garapan. Contact numbers for divisions remain unchanged as do regular business hours.

Director of Courts Sonia A. Camacho stated, “The Judiciary appreciates the support of the Executive Branch and thanks special assistant for Administration Shirley Camacho-Ogumoro, Commissioner Robert A. Guerrero of the Department of Public Safety, Secretary of Finance Larrisa Larson, Director of the Office of Personnel Management Isidro Seman, and our federal partners, Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona and Clerk of Court/Magistrate Judge Heather Kennedy of the District Court, United States Marshal Frank Leon Guerrero, and their staff for their responsiveness and assistance. Also, we understand that this emergency has inconvenienced many—those we serve and those who help us to serve them. We thank the public for their understanding and cooperation and the dedicated Judiciary staff for their commitment and support.” (PR)

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A 4.5-magnitude earthquake occurred near Pagan last Wednesday, while a 4.8-magnitude temblor happened near Agrihan last Saturday.

Ther were no reports of injuries or damage to property in both cases. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center also did not issue tsunami warnings or advisories.

According to the CNMI Emergency Operations Center Warning Point, Wednesday’s earthquake occurred 53 miles east of Pagan at 9:23pm.

EOC said Saturday’s earthquake happened 41 miles north northwest of Agrihan at 1:01am.

Two weeks ago, three earthquakes occurred near Farallon de Pajaros and Pagan.

Five earthquakes recently occurred near Rota and Saipan in a week.

U.S. Geological Survey seismologist Aaron G. Wech told Saipan Tribune earlier that the series of earthquakes are normal and expected in tectonic settings like the CNMI.

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Imperial Pacific International, LLC’s Corporate Social Responsibility Program continue to serve the community through its signature outreach work, The Village Pride Project.

Last week, the IPI-CSR team reached out to As Matuis, the northernmost residential village of Saipan, for its beautification work. (PR)

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Former acting mayor Marian Tudela will not run for Saipan mayor this November so she can support the candidacy of Ramon Blas “RB” Camacho.

Camacho announced his bid to run for mayor last week against current Saipan Mayor David M. Apatang.

Tudela was in the process of officially running for mayor in this year’s election. According to her, she had already gotten in touch with former supporters and was already finalizing details to her campaign when she made the decision to step aside for Camacho’s candidacy.

Tudela was the acting mayor after the passing of late mayor Donald Flores back in 2014. She ran against Apatang and nine others in the 2014 election year; she gained the support of about 3,000 to 4,000 voters. Tudela later withdrew to support Apatang.

According to Tudela, she and Apatang had an agreement in the last election year, but it was compromised this election year so she decided to re-run against Apatang. However, she again decided to withdraw to support another candidate.

Tudela said she fully supports Camacho because he is passionate and determined to serve the community.

“I have confidence and trust that he can help the people of Saipan,” she said.

Tudela is urging her supporters to support her decision to campaign for Camacho in this election year.
As of now, there are officially only two individuals running for Saipan mayor.

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U.S. District Court for the NMI Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona granted yesterday the U.S. government’s motion to keep detaining David Muna Sablan until his trial on charges related to two bags he left behind in Garapan that allegedly contained chemicals and items used in manufacturing crystal methamphetamine or “ice.”

Janet H. King, the court-appointed counsel for Sablan, told the court that they will not oppose the U.S. government’s motion for order of detention pending trial.

Assistant U.S. attorney Garth Backe appeared as counsel for the U.S. government.

Preliminary examination hearing will be on March 28 at 9am.

After the hearing, Sablan was remanded into the custody of the U.S. Marshal.

The U.S. Marshal Service served the federal court’s warrant of arrest on Sablan last March 15, after the Drug Enforcement Administration filed a criminal complaint charging him with conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine.

Sablan allegedly threw a backpack and a bag that contained chemicals and items used in making “ice” during a police chase in Garapan last March 15. Four police officers complained of nausea and dizziness, and vomited after inhaling the chemicals.

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SUVA, Fiji—The Pacific marked World Water Day last March 22, a day designated to acknowledge and celebrate the importance of freshwater resources.

This year’s theme, “Nature for Water,” is an opportunity for the Pacific to explore nature-based solutions to the water and sustainable development challenges we face in the 21st century. Nature-based solutions include measures such as planting trees to replenish forests, reconnecting rivers to floodplains, restoring wetlands and utilizing natural technologies such as composting toilets. Such approaches can be a sustainable and cost-effective way to help rebalance the water cycle, mitigate the effects of climate change and improve human health and livelihoods.

Nature-based solutions are already being utilized by Pacific nations such as Vanuatu, which has chosen World Water Day to launch a new management plan for its Tagabe River catchment. The catchment is Port Vila’s only source of potable water, supporting the growing needs of residents, agriculture and industry. The plan aims to protect this natural system through measures such as catchment rehabilitation and the establishment of protection zones to safeguard water quality from pollutants.

More information on World Water Day can be found at worldwaterday.org. (PR)

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File photo of the 18th Annual Taste of the Marianas International Food Festival & Beer Garden. The 20th Annual Taste of the Marianas will be held every Saturday during May 2018 Tourism Month beginning at 6pm at American Memorial Park. (Contributed Photo)

The 20th Annual Taste of the Marianas International Food Festival & Beer Garden will return to American Memorial Park this year.

The Marianas Visitors Authority signature event will be held every Saturday evening on Saipan in May in celebration of Tourism Month.

The MVA has confirmed over 20 food and beverage vendors for the event, which features international cuisine at affordable prices from local hotels and restaurant vendors, non-stop live entertainment on the main stage, nightly contests on the secondary stage, and arts and crafts sales.

“The Taste committee has been meeting for several weeks now, and we are so happy to be able to bring the event back to American Memorial Park this year,” said MVA Community Projects specialist and event coordinator Ray Villagomez. “As one of the most popular festivals in the Marianas, Taste again aims to serve up a full, fun, and delicious month of Tourism Month celebration in May.”

The festival will be held from 6pm to 10pm each Saturday (closing at 11pm on the final night). (MVA)

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McDonald’s Saipan gave its partners a fitting salute during the company’s Vendor Appreciation Dinner that also commemorated its silver anniversary Monday night at the Giovanni’s Restaurant of Hyatt Regency Saipan.

Jose “Joe” Cruz Ayuyu, president and owner/operator of McDonald’s Saipan, said the fastfood franchisee is dedicating the whole evening to its vendors.

“We want to honor them and thank them for sticking with McDonald’s during the turbulent times and the good times. We’re very fortunate to have [such] partners…on the island,” he said.

Later in the evening, McDonald’s Saipan gave corporate awards made out of crystal in the shape of French fries to five vendors that have served the company since Day 1: Herman’s Modern Bakery, Coca-Cola Beverage Co. (Micronesia), Matson, Inc., Calvo’s Insurance, and Yaong Corp.

“I want to be successful but I also want our partners to be successful because, if they’re not successful, we won’t also be successful,” said Ayuyu, who added that McDonald’s owe these five companies big time, recalling the times when they’d call Herman’s Bakery to make extra buns, ask Matson to prioritize their cargo so they can unload their items literally an hour after the ship had docked, and how Coca-Cola partly built its plant on Middle Road to accommodate McDonald’s standards.

Ayuyu said it wasn’t all a bed of roses the past 25 years.

“It’s been a very long journey for me and my wife since we opened McDonald’s Saipan 25 years ago. The journey has been bumpy over the years. But if you don’t go through those bumps, you wouldn’t know how to get better,” he said.

Ayuyu is appreciative of what McDonald’s Saipan has meant to his family and has no regrets.

“We were able to raise a family and send our kids to school [because of McDonald’s]. My expectations were not to become rich but just to make enough money to be able to support my family so I can give my children an education that was a lot better than what I had,” said Ayuyu, who is the first in his family to graduate from college.

Ayuyu’s wife, Marcia, who is also the company’s owner/operator, said this milestone is something she would cherish.

“Twenty-five years ago I was taking care of a 4-year-old and a 2-year-old. Now, I look back and the 4-year-old and a 2-year-old are now working in the family business,” said Marcia, who has another daughter, Ashley, working in Guam.

Aside from honoring partners, McDonald’s Saipan also gave $3,000 to the Salvation Army as part of its 25th anniversary donation.

A surprised Pastor Wayne Gillespie thanked the Ayuyu family for the kind gesture and said it would go a long way in keeping its pantries stocked.

American Red Cross-NMI Chapter executive director John Hirsh and Northern Marianas Athletics president Ramon Tebuteb also paid tribute to McDonald’s Saipan for the support they’ve given to their groups.

Hirsh said McDonald’s Saipan has been an invaluable partner, not only in the local Red Cross chapter’s yearly signature walkathon fundraiser, but also has helped in its fire prevention campaigns and in the aftermath of Typhoon Soudelor in 2015.

Tebuteb said the company has unofficially sponsored the track and field association’s all-schools championship since 2002. He recalled that McDonald’s Saipan has been in the group’s consciousness since 1993, the year when it opened, when their volunteers who just survived a boat capsizing immediately asked to be treated to McDonald’s soon after their rescue.

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The NMI Museum is looking for $250,000 in order to build a new storage area as it currently lacks space for many ancient artifacts.

“At this point, we have used all available space for storage and we are almost at maximum capacity,” said NMI Museum director Daniel Aquino.

IT&E, the U.S. Department of Defense, and Saipan Shipping Co. last year donated to the museum three 20-foot containers that were modified to serve as storage for human remains and artifacts in the museum’s possession. According to Aquino, the containers were placed side by side to form a 600-foot room that could be used as a storage facility, office, or a temporary exhibit room. That available space is already used up.

Late last year, Aquino was informed that there might still be other museum belongings in the Kallingal building across the museum. Aquino later learned that the museum used to rent that space for the curator’s office and as partial storage but gave it up when the budget cuts hit the museum during the administration of former governor Benigno R. Fitial.

“There is still a significant amount of property belonging to the museum at the Kallingal building and we just have no place to store them. A good amount of property that were stored at the Kallingal building were eaten by termites or damaged by moisture,” said Aquino.

A tour of the Kallingal building showed that all the artifacts once stored there are now completely infested with termites and covered in mold and dust.

Artifacts included an ancient Chamorro canoe, photographs that date back to the Japanese era, Japanese army uniforms and war gear, artifacts obtained from the Spanish galleon Nuestra Senora de la Concepcion, books on the history of the Concepcion, and remains of World War II soldiers.

“The property at the Kallingal building cannot be stored inside the museum because those items have been contaminated with termites and we run the risk of bringing those termites into the museum after we had just eradicated a termite colony within our building,” he said.

Aquino plans to create additional storage space by enclosing the pala pala behind the museum to store what is left of the artifacts that are too valuable to throw away, and for the documents that can still be salvaged from the Kallingal building.

“Storage is always going to be an issue with any museum and unfortunately the old Japanese hospital was never equipped with these things. To help with storage, I gave up my office and two other office spaces and procured shelves to store vases from the Concepcion collection that were just lying on our floors or transferred from the Kallingal building,” he said.

Fortunately, Aquino said that he has already received assurance from the House of Representatives in regards to their requested funding.

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Pacific Foods CNMI president Ralph Yumul, leftmost, is joined by Ajisen restaurant staff. (Mark Rabago)

A newly formed local company has acquired the IHOP and Ajisen restaurants on Saipan from Pacific Pancakes and Oishi CNMI.

Pacific Foods CNMI, led by its president Ralph Yumul and his brother, former senator Ray Yumul, and another investor, formally took over the two franchises yesterday.

Ralph Yumul, who is also a former representative, said the over $800,000 acquisition cost is a combination of loan and purchase price.

Negotiations took over six months as they initially only wanted to buy the Ajisen restaurant because of the large amount involved.

“After so many negotiations it became a package deal,” he said.

Ralph Yumul said the acquisition would not affect employees of the two restaurants, as they will retain their current staffing of over 30. They’re looking, though, at cutting operational expenses.

“The major part of it is trying to control the expense. Operating a restaurant in the CNMI is very expensive,” he said.

One of the things being mulled is closing IHOP an hour early. Unlike Ajisen, the former doesn’t really do well during dinner. Currently, IHOP is open from 7am to 10pm daily, while Ajisen is from 11am to 10pm.

They’re also looking at expanding IHOP’s Chamorro breakfast menu and guaranteeing that breakfast is served 12 minutes after being ordered.

Limited parking is also an issue at the current site, Ralph Yumul said. Moving one restaurant to another site would solve the problem.

“It’s easier to move Ajisen because it’s smaller,” he said.

It’s a homecoming of sorts for the Yumul brothers as the family’s YCO Corp. used to operate two Jollibee restaurants on Saipan before closing the last branch in 2008 as the franchise term expired.

“It’s been over 10 years since we operated Jollibee. It’s very exciting for me so when the opportunity came to acquire Ajisen and IHOP I quickly jumped on it,” he said.

Now that a Saipan business owns IHOP and Ajisen, Ralph Yumul is inviting Saipan residents to try out their new restaurants.

“It’s locally owned, so come on down and support local businesses,” he said.

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Gov. Ralph DLG Torres’ decision to veto a certain allocation in a recently passed Rota local law has prompted a Rota senator to express disappointment with the governor during a Senate session last Thursday.

Sen. Steve Mesngon (R-Rota), who chairs the Rota Legislative Delegation, the governor had no reason to veto a specific portion of the bill as the language involved with the appropriation was identical to other legislations of a similar nature.

Torres, in enacting House Local Bill 20-55 into Rota Local Law 20-08, vetoed a $70,880 appropriation for the Rota Legislative Delegation’s operations as well as an additional $20,000 for the Grace Christian Academy Rota and the Eskuelan San Francisco de Borja.

The local bill altogether appropriates over $1.4 million in funding from the casino license renewal fee under Public Law 18-56 to various Rota programs, agencies, and offices.

Of the total, Torres vetoed $70,880 allocated to the delegation after explaining in his transmittal letter that it did not specify how the funds would be used.

“Due to the reservations I have regarding the provision’s failure to delineate the particular purpose for this operational funding, and until such time that the purpose of this funding is made apparent, I must respectfully veto this provision,” Torres explained.

According to Mesngon: “I am just so concerned [because] the governor vetoed this item when there is also local laws from the Tinian delegation [and] Saipan delegation, which [had] the same appropriation and language. I am very, very disappointed.”

Mesngon pointed out that some medical referral patients have approached the Rota delegation to seek assistance, which was the intention of the provision.

“I am not sure what happened to the governor, but he vetoed this provision [that] supports our community, especially the people of Rota,” said Mesngon.

Torres also vetoed a provision of the bill, which appropriated $220,000 for GCA Rota and Eskuelan San Francisco de Borja, since both schools are considered private.

“…Local appropriations bills seeking to allocate public funds to private schools cannot be approved absent justification of a public purpose for which the funding is intended to carry out,” said Torres, adding that provision failed to describe a specific public purpose for the funds and is therefore in violation of the public purposes statute, hence the veto.

“…Although I agree with the intent of much of this bill and understand its significance in the sustainability and advancement of the lives of the people of [Rota], I urge the local delegation to revisit the matter and re-appropriate the remaining funds in consideration of the public purpose requirement,” said the governor.

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