By Emmanuel T. Erediano
Variety News Staff

THREE of the 70 palm trees that the Cabrera family planted during their cleanup activity near the airport in January have been stolen.
Bernard Cabrera, the coordinator of the Pala-Potu group, said he was disappointed by the theft, adding that whoever did it could have gone to Marpi where many similar trees can be found.
Cabrera and 50 other members of the Pala-Potu Group gathered along the Tun Kioshi Road last January to clean up the area, which included the airport and the intersection in As Lito.
Their family, Cabrera said, was joined by other volunteers led by Reps. Cinta M. Kaipat Covenant-Saipan, and Absalon Waki, Covenant-Saipan, as well as students from a St. Jude’s catechism class led by their teacher, former Rep. Rosiky F. Camacho.
Cabrera said when he visited the place on Sunday, he was surprised to see one of the palm trees missing.
When he visited the place again at around 12 noon yesterday, he found that two more palm trees had been uprooted.
Cabrera said the palm trees they planted were from the Department of Land and Natural Resources.
He said he “feels so bad” because while there are people like his family who want to help beautify the island, “there are still some people who want to destroy it.”
“How can people be encouraged to do more volunteering if there are also people who do things like this?” he said.