SENATOR Teresita A. Santos on Tuesday is questioning the removal of Fermin Atalig from the Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. board of trustees.
In September 2020, board chairperson Lauri Ogumoro informed Atalig of his removal from the board, citing Article 3, Section 4 of the board’s bylaws, which pertains to the attendance of board members at meetings.
Atalig said he was unaware of his removal from the board until he received Ogumoro’s letter by mail on Jan. 5, 2021.
He also claims that in addition to not being provided a copy of the board’s bylaws, he was not always notified of scheduled board meetings.
The meetings that he was aware of, he would participate in via Zoom, he said.
In her letter to Ogumoro, Santos said: “Your reason for removing Mr. Atalig is highly questionable…. Be that as it may, your supposed authority to remove Mr. Atalig as a board member is even more egregious as it violates Commonwealth law and the NMI Constitution.”
Santos said according to 3 CMC §2825(i), which codifies the CHCC board of trustees, the governor may remove a trustee in accordance with Article III, Section 21 of the CNMI Constitution.
However, she added, “the governor’s removal authority requires a serious offense. Non-attendance of a meeting does not even come close to a justifiable removal by the governor, let alone you as a chairperson and based on board bylaws.”
Santos said Ogumoro “denied Mr. Atalig his due process by usurping the governor’s authority and illegally removing him from the board of trustees.”
Health matters, she added, are one of the most critically important issues to the people of Rota, as it would be in many communities.
“Thus, your erroneous action in terminating Mr. Atalig has adversely affected the interests of the people of Rota by depriving them of a voice on the board since Sept. 18, 2020,” Santos said.
“The people of Rota deserve nothing less and therefore, Mr. Atalig should be reinstated to the board of trustees to represent the people and the island of Rota.”
CHCC is an autonomous public corporation whose board members are appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the Senate.
Teresita Santos
