Fitial, who arrived on Saturday morning from Washington, D.C., showed up at the rally along with Lt. Gov. Eloy S. Inos and the Covenant Party’s congressional candidate, former House Floor Leader Joseph N. Camacho.
They were joined by former Speaker Arnold I. Palacios, R-Saipan, Senate Floor Leader Pete P. Reyes, R-Saipan, former Speaker Oscar C. Rasa, Territorial-Saipan, Rep. Stanley T. Torres, Ind.-Saipan, Sen. Luis P. Crisostimo, Ind.-Saipan, former Speaker Pedro R. Deleon Guerrero, D-Saipan, former Marianas District Legislature President Vicente N. Santos, Popular-Saipan, as well as other former elected officials.
Indigenous Affairs Executive Director Ike Demapan estimated the crowd at the Civic Center in Susupe to be over 2,000.
Political unity
Demapan said there’s no doubt that the event united the CNMI’s political parties.
“It is a message of unity. There’s no other way of interpreting it. It is solely an indigenous rights movement,” he added.
Inos said the rally is aimed at educating the public about the impact of Interior’s recommendation but it’s not surprising to see the leaders from other parties joining the event because they all have a common cause.
“We are speaking with one voice in this issue,” he told the Variety.
“We are concerned about what will happen to the islands and the people of the CNMI in the event of a hasty change in the socio-economic as well as the political make-up of the islands through the infusion of new U.S. citizens. That’s a legitimate concern of the local people,” he added.
Fitial reiterated his disappointment over what he claimed was Interior’s “bias” for workers.
“Instead of coming over here and meeting with the indigenous people, they meet with the activists. They asked me what was my position — I said my position had been very consistent. All these nonresident workers came here because they have a contract to work,” he told reporters after the rally that began at 1 p.m. concluded around 5 p.m.
He vowed to lead the indigenous people in fighting for their political rights in the U.S. Congress.
Fitial said there is a process that should be followed before qualified guest workers are granted improved immigration status.
He wants a referendum on this issue.
“Just follow the law. You know there are more than 12 million illegal aliens in the United States. They should fall in line,” he said.
He said it doesn’t matter that the close to 16,000 guest workers who stand to benefit from Interior’s recommendation are documented.
“It’s not that they’re legal or illegal. There is a process. The process should be based on respect. If I invite you to my house and then you dictate what I am going to do inside my house, that’s not right,” he said.
Santos, for his part, said Interior has always been at odds with the NMI even during the Trust Territory days.
“Everybody’s mad now. There’s no respect,” he said in an interview. “We are not trying to chaste the aliens away from Saipan. But they have no right to become voting members of the commonwealth. There’s nothing in their contracts about that. They are here to earn a living and send money back home.”
Santos said aliens can get improved immigration status through marrying U.S. citizens or through their U.S. citizen children.
“Other aliens who married locals, have to pay way over $3,000 to get green cards, but by a stroke of one pen, everybody now will become permanent residents? Do you think that’s right? No, that’s wrong,” he said. “They must follow the process.”
Crisostimo and other officials who spoke during the gathering expressed disappointment with Interior’s proposal.
“Please give as the right to decide the destiny of our people,” Crisostimo said. “I am not one happy American.
My parents didn’t want to be Americans and today we are haunted [by our decision to become part of the U.S.]”
Department of Community and Cultural Affairs Secretary Melvin O. Faisao who spoke in Carolinian made scathing remarks about Interior’s recommendation.
Deputy Commerce Secretary Sixto Igisomar, for his part, said he does not believe in the Covenant that made the CNMI a commonwealth of the U.S.
“I do not believe in the Covenant. I do not believe in the federalization law. This is my country…. This is a sovereign land. You are not going to tell me what to do in my own land,” he said.
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