By Roselyn B. Monroyo
Variety News Staff

ABOUT a year after the NMI hosted the 6th Micronesian Games, a sports official says it is a disgrace that the Micronesian Games Organizing Committee has yet to release the final report on the quadrennial meet.
“My personal opinion is that it is a disgrace that the Organizing Committee has not yet released a report on the Games or accounted for the hundreds of thousands of dollars which it took in,” Northern Marianas Amateur Sports Association president Michael White said in an email to the Variety.
The NMI almost failed to host the Micro Games due to funding problems. Appeals from the community and athletes encouraged the government and the private sector to step in and save the Games.
Governor Benigno R. Fitial, after hearing the sentiments of the athletes, gave in and appointed Rex I. Palacios as chairman of the Micronesian Organizing Committee and asked the private sector for support.
Businesses gave donations, while the community held fundraisers to support the games and volunteers rendered services before, during and after the Micro Games.
“The Committee and its Chairman were given an important public trust in running the Games, and in failing to issue a report or to account for funds, they have violated that trust. There are many questions which need to be answered. The biggest one is what happened to all of the money? The people of the CNMI have the right to know,” White said.
Palacios in an earlier interview with the Variety, said that he could not release the Micro Games report, as some committees involved in the event failed to submit the required documents.
He did not say which committees/organizations have yet to comply with the requirements, and added that if and when a committee submits documents, these are still subject to review.
“NMASA has inquired about the final Micronesian Games report on several occasions. The Chairman of the organizing committee claims he cannot prepare the report because several committee reports have not been turned in to him. We have asked him to identify which reports he claims to be missing. He has not given us an answer,” White said.
Pending the final report, sports associations/committees and government agencies are still waiting to receive payments from the MGOC.
Baseball, golf and volleyball claimed they already forwarded invoices to the committee, but until now have yet to receive payments from the committee.
MGOC still owes the baseball association $3,200 for balls, which were purchased even before the Games had started. The committee owes the Northern Mariana Islands Volleyball Association and the golf committee $1,979.50 and $1,700, respectively.
PSS, which loaned its buses to the committee for the athletes’ transportation, and the Department of Public Works, whose staff were in charge of the repairs to some facilities, have also yet to receive payment from the MGOC.
“NMASA has made repeated inquiries to the Chairman about payment of expenses which were included in the budget approved by the Chairman himself, but which have not been paid. We have yet to receive an answer,” White said.
“NMASA, which represents all of the CNMI sports federations which participated in the Games, has requested the Chairman to issue a report on the Games. He has not done so, and has recently issued a public statement that he does not intend to do so,” White added.
Palacios in an interview with the Variety after the governor’s State of the Commonwealth Address last month, said he will no longer accept any transactions related to the Micro Games.
“The Micro Games is closed and it’s not an issue for me now. I have moved on with my life,” Palacios told Variety.