SUPERIOR Court Judge Kenneth L. Govendo has ordered Marvin Rodney Pangelinan to pay a $500 fine and court cost of $25.
On July 13, Pangelinan, who was represented by attorney Richard Miller, pled guilty to the offense of solicitation or receipt of money for advice or assistance.
At the change of plea hearing, the Commonwealth was represented by Assistant Attorneys General Carmen Borja and David Karch.
Judge Govendo accepted Pangelinan’s guilty plea, and sentenced the defendant to pay a $500 fine and court cost of $25 by Jan. 15, 2024.
Judge Govendo also scheduled a review hearing for Jan. 25, 2024, at 1:30 p.m. in Courtroom 205A.
Pangelinan and his co-defendant, Jijing Borja, previously pleaded not guilty to the charge of bribery.
According to the information filed in Superior Court by the Office of the Attorney General on March 28, 2023, Borja paid Pangelinan, an employee of the CNMI Division of Fish and Wildlife, $100 “so that [Borja] could run his business at the Grotto without proper documentation as required under CNMI law, in violation of 6 CMC § 3201, and made punishable by 6 CMC § 3201.”
“On or about Feb. 12, 2023, on Saipan…Marvin Rodney Pangelinan unlawfully gave or received something of value in wrongful and corrupt payment for an official act done or not done, to be done or not to be done,” the information stated.
The alleged transaction was recorded on video by Borja.
Pangelinan denied the allegation while Borja told Variety that it was a “video prank” to teach Pangelinan a lesson “because he likes to borrow money from tourist guides.”
According to the AG’s office, Borja operates and/or is employed by Blue Ocean Tinian Corporation, the holder of a CNMI business license to operate as a scuba diving tour operator on Tinian.
But on Feb. 12, 2023, Blue Ocean or Borja did not have a business license to operate as a scuba diving tour operator on Saipan, nor did it, or Borja, possess a water sports permit issued by the CNMI Bureau of Environmental and Coastal Quality-Division of Coastal Resources Management.
Despite not having either a valid business license or water sports permit, Borja brought a group of tourists to the Grotto to go scuba diving, the AG’s office stated.
“Pangelinan while working in his official capacity as a conservation officer at the Grotto, requested to receive $200, and/or Borja offered to pay him $200, to allow Borja to conduct his business as a commercial scuba diving operator without the required water sports permit or business license,” the AG’s office added.
Borja was represented by Assistant Public Defender Molly Dellert. As of Sunday afternoon, Variety was unable to obtain new information regarding the status of the case against him.
