THE board of directors of the Micronesian Legal Services Corporation has adopted Resolution 2023-1 to honor the late former Sen. Herman R. Guerrero for his many outstanding contributions to MLSC and the people of Micronesia:
WHEREAS, prior to the establishment of Micronesian Legal Services Corporation most persons with legal problems had no access to the system of justice on Micronesia’s many islands; and
WHEREAS, MLSC was conceived, designed and established through the efforts of Herman R. Guerrero and others in 1970 and 1971; and
WHEREAS, MLSC was first funded by a grant by the U.S. Office of Economic Opportunity due to the creative efforts of Herman R. Guerrero, who, together with the Honorable Tony DeBrum of the Marshall Islands, traveled to Washington, D.C. to secure this initial funding; and
WHEREAS, former Senator Herman R. Guerrero was executive director of Mariana Islands District Community Action Agency at the time of MLSC’s beginning; he was a member of the Congress of Micronesia as a representative from Saipan and later elected several times to the Senate of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and held other positions of public trust on Saipan; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Guerrero served as MLSC’s first president of the board of directors and again served as president in the 1980’s; and
WHEREAS, during times of extreme crisis, such as the former Trust Territory high commissioner’s efforts to shut down MLSC in the 1970’s and during significant budgetary cuts, Mr. Guerrero took a leading role in finding solutions; and
WHEREAS, some 20,000 people of Micronesia each year have found a helping hand at the eight regional offices of MLSC since its establishment; and
WHEREAS, as Mr. Guerrero himself said in addressing the MLSC board in 2016, “Nobody can question MLSC. This is a program that must continue because it is honestly helping the poor people of Micronesia. Throughout the jurisdictions and different governments of Micronesia, MLSC is a unifying force, from Palau to the Marianas, to the FSM, to the Marshalls”; and
WHEREAS, the MLSC board has learned of the passing of Mr. Guerrero, now therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED that the board of directors of Micronesian Legal Services Corporation hereby expresses its deep gratitude and appreciation to Herman R. Guerrero for his dedication to the principle of free legal services to low income persons throughout Micronesia and his many outstanding contributions to Micronesian Legal Services and the people of Micronesia.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT:
A certified copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
Herman R. Guerrero
