Galvin Deleon Guerrero
GALVIN S. Deleon Guerrero, an independent candidate for delegate, issued the following statement on Thursday:
“Times are tough. And I commend Governor Apatang, Lt. Governor Mendiola, their executive team, and our CNMI Legislature for working collaboratively to address the current fiscal crisis.
“But it’s troubling to hear our Delegate suggest that ‘help from the U.S. comes with conditions’ — a claim that misrepresents the very promise of the Covenant.
“Section 701 of the Covenant makes it clear: ‘The Government of the United States will assist the Government of the Northern Mariana Islands in its efforts to achieve a progressively higher standard of living for its people as part of the American economic community and to develop the economic resources needed to meet the financial responsibilities of local self-government.’
“This is the foundation of our relationship. Federal assistance doesn’t come with strings attached — it flows from the Covenant itself, which guarantees that the people of the Marianas are not left behind. It’s not charity. It’s not conditional. It’s a commitment, not a bail out.
“It should be framed as an investment in us as Americans. The Federal Government owes it to us to invest in our infrastructure and economy as it invests in a military build-up. And what about the revenue from federal taxes owed to the CNMI per the Covenant? And why are federal contractors on Tinian depriving the CNMI of revenue by not paying the full developers’ tax?
“The CNMI has already made a bold choice to take out a $29 million loan from MPLT, yet we are only getting about $5.7 million from a federal discretionary account?
“Conditions undermine our self-government. The Covenant protects our ability to make decisions locally, without federal assistance being used to force our hand.
“We need bolder advocacy. Our delegate must remind Washington that promises made to the Marianas must be honored in full — not watered down with incremental asks at a time when Americans here have already been hurting from massive federal cuts.
“If elected, I will stand firm: federal assistance is inherent within the promise of the Covenant. I will fight to ensure that every dollar, every program, and every partnership respects the dignity of our people and the right of our CNMI government to determine its future.
“The people of the Northern Mariana Islands deserve a representative who understands that federal assistance is not a conditional favor — it is a right promised under the Covenant.
“That is what I am fighting for: fighting for our Covenant, fighting for our Commonwealth, fighting for us.”
