for its “continuing assault and intrusion” into the authority of the councils.
This was in reference to House Bill 16-1 of Rep. Victor B. Hocog, now Public Law 16-4, which authorizes the legislative delegation of Rota to appropriate the island’s casino revenues.
Saipan council member Felipe Q. Atalig, the association’s president, said they do not support Senate Vice Presdient Felix T. Mendiola’s suggestion for a leadership summit to resolve the conflict arising between Rota’s municipal council and legislative delegation.
“The councils, both the past and the present, have been trying to meet and resolve any differences amicably but it seems the efforts were fruitless,” Atalig said.
It is the Legislature, he added, that continues to “assault” the “power” of the municipal councils.
He said the association has decided to take the case to the court because the Legislature “is not interested” in resolving the dispute with the councils.
Atalig said the association will also seek a temporary restraining order from the court to stop the governor from implementing P.L. 16-4.
He expressed concern about the implication of the law, saying it will “automatically delete the constitutional authority of the municipal council.”
According to Atalig, “This law is trying to tell us to abolish the CNMI Constitution’s Article 6, Section 7, or the establishment of the municipal councils.”
He said the new law states that “local law, whether enacted by the delegation or by initiative, may be amended, altered repealed, superseded or altered in any fashion by the enactment of a subsequent local law enacted by the delegation.”
Atalig said this provision is like giving the delegation an authority to even amend the Constitution “but they don’t have such authority.”
