THE Saipan and Northern Islands Legislative Delegation’s Committee on Judiciary and Governmental Operations adopted a report endorsing the appointment of NMI Museum Director Danny Iwashita Aquino Jr. to be the third member of the 16th Saipan and Northern Islands Municipal Council.
Chaired by Sen. Edith Deleon Guerrero, the committee also endorsed the reappointments of Saipan Higher Education Financial Assistance board chairman Oscar M. Babauta and vice chairman Juan K. Tenorio.
The committee on Thursday unanimously voted to adopt the reports, citing the testimonies in support of the appointees during a series of public hearings conducted over the last two months.
Prior to the vote, Vice Speaker Blas Jonathan Attao and Rep. John Paul Sablan requested the chairwoman to pass out copies of the committee reports and have them signed.
Rep. John Paul Sablan then made the motion to adopt the committee reports.
Like Babauta and Tenorio, Aquino received support from several government officials and members of the community.
Those who testified in favor of Aquino’s appointment were Saipan Mayor David M. Apatang and former Gov. Benigno R. Fitial.
Next week, the delegation will hold a session to, among other things, act on the appointments of Aquino, Babauta and Tenorio.
If confirmed, Aquino will join Anna Demapan Castro and Antonia Manibusan Tudela on the three-member, nonpartisan municipal council.
Castro and Tudela were the only council candidates in the November 2020 elections.
Aside from Deleon Guerrero, Attao and Sablan, the other delegation committee members who attended the meeting on Thursday were Reps. Denita Yangetmai, Vincent Camacho and Joseph Leepan Guerrero.
Sen. Edith Deleon Guerrero, the chair of Saipan and Northern Islands Legislative Delegation Committee on Judiciary and Governmental Operations presides over a meeting in the House chamber on Thursday.
Photo by Emmanuel T. Erediano
