AN employee of the CNMI Division of Fish and Wildlife, Marvin Rodney Pangelinan, is accused of accepting a bribe from an unlicensed tourist guide operator.
Pangelinan denied the allegation and told Variety that he was conferring with his attorney regarding the matter.
On March 28, 2023, the Office of the Attorney General filed information in Superior Court charging Pangelinan and co-defendant Ji Jing Borja with one count of bribery each.
According to the information, Borja paid Pangelinan, a Fish and Wildlife employee, $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.”
The information stated that on or about “February 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 alleged transaction of Borja and Pangelinan was video recorded by Borja. Variety obtained copies of the video recording.
In a statement, Department of Land and Natural Resources Secretary Sylvan Igisomar said: “DLNR is currently in consultation with Office of Personnel Management and OAG on next steps in terms of administrative actions available to us. I maintain a zero tolerance as it relates to illegal drug use, alcohol, and violence at the workplace, while staff are on duty. This goes as well for actions of staff that go against CNMI laws, rules, and regulations. This stance is in line with the administration’s goal of bringing back public confidence in our government.”
