Commonwealth Ports Authority board member Antonio B. Cabrera speaks as fellow board members Joseph Diaz, right, and Thomas “Kiyu” Villagomez, left, listen during a meeting in the Port of Saipan conference room.
COMMONWEALTH Ports Authority board member Antonio B. Cabrera has opposed CPA’s invitation to bids for the procurement of four brand new cars and three utility vehicles for the Francisco Manglona Borja/Tinian International Airport.
CPA published the invitation to bids on Friday and set the submission of responses for Nov. 24, 2023. There is also a separate invitation to bid for one heavy duty truck for the Saipan seaport police.
In an interview on Friday, Cabrera said he has requested the other CPA board members that the procurement should be put on hold “until we get to the bottom of it.” He said the plan to buy new vehicles is “ridiculous” in the face of reduced government work hours.
“It seems to me that someone wants to spend public money as they please to do so. This is what I called ‘shopping spree’ and I totally despise this practice. Fiscal prudence must be exercised more particularly at a time when public funds are limited and there are needs aplenty,” Cabrera said.
Asked for comment, CPA board member Joseph Diaz said he had instructed acting CPA Director Wendi Prater on Friday to “hold it.” He said “we just want to investigate further whether [the procurement] is allowable or not. That’s the main concern. Because we might be in trouble.”
