THE Commonwealth Ports Authority board of directors will revisit on Friday the previous board’s decision to rename the Tinian airport after former Senate President Francisco Manglona Borja, who is also the island’s former mayor.
In a letter to CPA Board Chairman Jose C. Ayuyu on Tuesday, Tinian Sen. Karl King-Nabors said: “You are going against the decision of the people of Tinian.”
By virtue of the airport operating certificate issued by the Federal Aviation Authority following the previous CPA board’s decision last year, Tinian airport was renamed Francisco Manglona Borja/Tinian International Airport.
CPA Board Vice Chairman Antonio B. Cabrera said the new name of the Tinian airport was “informally” discussed in a previous board meeting.
He said CPA’s then-staff attorney Joseph Hallahan was supposed to do research on the matter and get back to the board. But Hallahan has resigned from CPA and is now the legal counsel of the House of Representatives.
Cabrera couldn’t remember who among the CPA officials brought it up, but he noted that the two other airports in the CNMI were renamed through legislation and not by the board’s action.
Saipan Local Law 13-10, for example, renamed the Saipan International Airport to Francisco C. Ada/Saipan International Airport in honor of the CNMI’s first lt. governor and Trust Territory district administrator. S.L.L. 13-10 was signed by then-Gov. Juan N. Babauta on Oct. 14, 2002.
On Sept. 26, 2011, then-Gov. Eloy S. Inos signed Public Law 17-53 renaming Rota International Airport to Benjamin Taisacan Manglona International Airport in honor of the late lt. governor, who also served as Senate president, Rota mayor and constitutional convention member.
In the 22nd Legislature, then-Senate President Jude U. Hofschneider introduced Senate Bill 22-60 to rename the Tinian airport to Francisco Manglona Borja/Tinian International Airport. The legislation was referred to the Senate Committee on Public Utilities, Transportation and Communication, which did not take action on the bill.
Baffled
In his letter to Ayuyu, King-Nabors, who chairs the Tinian Legislative Delegation, said “the Tinian leadership is baffled that this matter is once again being revisited by the board.”
He said the previous CPA board “acted to change the name” of the Tinian airport, “which is also reflected” in its FAA airport operating certificate. This action by the previous board, the senator said, was in response and in support of the Tinian leadership’s request.
King-Nabors said the previous board held a public hearing on Tinian and provided the island community the opportunity to comment. He said the public hearing was “well-attended with an overwhelming majority supporting the request.”
He said one of the questions raised during the public hearing was whether the CPA board had the authority to name its facilities. The answer from the CPA’s two attorneys was “yes,” the senator said.
King-Nabor asked the board chairman, “If the board has the authority to change the name of its buildings, why is this matter being revisited? Is the board now requesting that the Legislature take action to rename a building that has already been renamed at the request of the Tinian leadership and supported overwhelmingly by the people of Tinian?”
The senator said pursuing this route now, “given the political climate” in the Legislature, “opens this matter for debate” among representatives who do not live on Tinian.
He said S.B. 22-60 was “held up by representatives from Saipan because of politics.”
Given CPA’s autonomy and the clear authority of its board to rename its buildings, he added, “I am concerned as to what is the impetus for this move by the board.”
“To be succinct, you are going against the decision of the people of Tinian,” the senator said. “On behalf of the Tinian Legislative Delegation, I respectfully ask that you take no further action with regard to the Francisco Manglona Borja/Tinian International Airport. This matter has been decided by the people of the Second Senatorial District.”
