By Gemma Q. Casas
Variety News Staff

GOVERNOR Benigno R. Fitial has finally named five nominees to the Public Utilities Commission board, nearly five months after the Commonwealth Public Utilities Commission Act became law.
Fitial nominated Manuel Rabauliman, Henry K. Pangelinan, Lina Villagomez, Allen Perez and Cris S. Inos.
Rabauliman, a retired telecommunications specialist at the former Micronesian Telecommunications Co., will represent the telecommunications sector and Saipan.
Pangelinan, who is an architect and engineer, will represent the engineering sector and Saipan.
Villagomez, the chief accountant of the Department of Public Health, will represent the accounting sector and Saipan.
Perez, who used to be a member of the defunct Commonwealth Utilities Corp. board, will represent Tinian.
Inos, the husband of former Education Commissioner Rita H. Inos, will represent the telecommunications sector and Rota.
The nominations must be confirmed by both the House of the Representatives and the Senate.
PUC is an “independent agency within the executive branch and not part of any principal department.”
The commission will regulate the local telecommunications industry, including cable and the public utilities.
Unlike other appointees, PUC commissioners are not required to resign when the administration changes.
“When there is a change of administration in the government of the commonwealth after a gubernatorial election, no courtesy resignation shall be requested by the new administration of the governor nor offered by any commissioner,” Public Law 15-35, or the Commonwealth Public Utilities Commission Act of 2006, stated.
PUC will be CUC’s governing body and will decide who will get the contract for the proposed privatization of Saipan’s power plant 1.
PUC will also determine the utility rates for CUC.