By Moneth G. Deposa
Variety News Staff

MEMBERS of the Youth Congress on Saturday voted 5 to 8 against a resolution expressing support for the reinstatement of JG Sablan Quarry’s mining permit.
Even the author of the resolution voted against it.
Two members abstained.
Y.C. Resolution 9-10 asks Gov. Benigno R. Fitial and the Department of Public Lands to increase budgetary allocations for education and youth-related programs by increasing revenue collection through the Pagan pozzolan mining project.
The resolution wants the administration to dismiss its court challenge against the legality of Public Law 15-21, which reinstates JG’s Pagan mining permit.
But the author of the resolution himself, Youth Speaker Matthew Deleon Guerrero, later voted against it after Rep. Absalon Waki, Covenant, urged the youth senators to throroughly research the issue before taking a strong position on it.
“I think we need more research,” Deleon Guerrero said. “From what Congressman Waki said about the issue of pozzolan, we learned that there are a lot of things that we need to know to assess JG Sablan and hopefully we can have a better discussion and position in our next session.”
But Youth Sen. Nicole Sonia Castro was firm in her vote in favor of the resolution.
“I believe that blaming JG Sablan for not taking advantage of the permit is not completely (right),” she said. “Now that the CNMI has a bad economy, we should look for solutions and I feel that it’s also our responsibility to find ways we can help and pozzolan mining is good source of revenue for the commonwealth.”
Youth Sen. Henry Chan said the economic benefits should be properly assessed before a unified position is taken on the issue.
“If in 13 years it has not brought revenue and economic benefit to CNMI, then why do we have to continue the permit? And if (P.L. 15-21) is somehow unconstitutional, then why support its reinstatement?” he said.
He added that the “real situation” should be assessed first.
Youth Sen. Anita Hofschneider said she abstained because she wants to “carefully study and research” the issue before taking sides.
Waki told the youth senators that the Legislature is expecting a report from the task force that is looking into the Pagan pozzolan mining project.
“A university in Taiwan certified by the U.S. is doing the testing of pozzolan samples and the Legislature is expecting something to be put together hopefully by the end of this month,” Waki said.