By Bryan Manabat
[email protected]
Variety News Staff
GOVERNOR David M. Apatang on Friday said he will reinstate the Office of Grants Management administrator, Epi Cabrera, and former Department of Public Safety Commissioner Anthony I. Macaranas, reversing termination letters issued last week by Lt. Gov. Dennis Mendiola while Apatang was off-island.
Speaking to reporters shortly after returning from Washington, D.C., where he attended Section 902 consultations, Apatang said he was blindsided by the dismissals and disappointed that Mendiola, as acting governor, acted without consulting him.
“Epi Cabrera is a member of my Cabinet. I’m going to return him to where he’s supposed to be,” Apatang said. “I’m not rehiring him — I’m reinstating him. The guy is working very hard. We’d be lost without him at the grants office. He secured a lot of grants for the Commonwealth.”
Apatang criticized the manner in which Cabrera was served his termination notice, saying a police boat was sent to Tinian to deliver the letter.
“I just don’t understand why the lieutenant governor decided to get rid of him — as a matter of fact, the way they did that,” he said.
As for Macaranas, Apatang said he was troubled by the decision to remove the DPS commissioner, who was appointed by the late Gov. Arnold I. Palacios and Apatang. At the time, Macaranas was in Texas following his retirement.
“Commissioner Macaranas is a very good police officer. He started out in the department,” Apatang said. “I trust him and know he can do his job. You just have to treat him right and give him the tools he needs to work. The police department has been short on manpower. ICE has been recruiting some of the officers, so he just needs to maintain his leadership there and keep these officers working.”
Apatang said he has not yet spoken with Mendiola since returning to Saipan.
“I just came in. As a matter of fact, every trip we made was delayed by United [Airlines],” he said, adding that the delays underscore the need to revisit federal cabotage restrictions.
The governor said he had explicitly asked Mendiola not to fire anyone before he left for Washington.
“And he just did the opposite,” Apatang said. “I don’t know what his motives are — or what he asked the commissioner or what he asked Epi to do for him and they didn’t deliver. So that’s still in my mind: What is the motive behind all these activities?”
Apatang said he intends to reinstate Macaranas but will first consult legal counsel regarding constitutional questions surrounding the commissioner’s removal and possible reappointment.
“I’m going to work through that,” he said. “We’re not going to have acting after acting. We need somebody who can be in charge.”
Apatang said perhaps Mendiola “asked for something he didn’t get. I’m starting to realize now. I’m looking at his [Mendiola’s] security detail. He’s got three. Two from DPS, one from DFEMS. Me, I’m not taking two officers from DPS. It’s a lot. They are understaffed now because ICE is hiring. DPS officers are working very hard. We need those guys back, and not guarding somebody all the time. I have only one officer. That’s all. I don’t need more. There’s an issue on excessive overtime [which] DPS cannot afford.”
Asked for comment, Mendiola said on Sunday, “He is the governor and will respect his reinstatement of former Commissioner Macaranas if he chooses to do so. As for my [security] detail, I have two, and that’s because I have a wife and young kids. However, I am fine with having no detail. This will not be a back and forth on what he wants.”
With Emmanuel T. Erediano
Bryan Manabat was a liberal arts student of Northern Marianas College where he also studied criminal justice. He is the recipient of the NMI Humanities Award as an Outstanding Teacher (Non-Classroom) in 2013, and has worked for the CNMI Motheread/Fatheread Literacy Program as lead facilitator.
Emmanuel “Arnold” Erediano has a bachelor of science degree in Journalism. He started his career as police beat reporter. Loves to cook. Eats death threats for breakfast.
