While his daughter Elaine looks on, Lt. Gov. David M. Apatang is sworn in by Associate Justice John A. Manglona on Monday morning at the multi-purpose center.
From left, Gov. Arnold I. Palacios, first lady Wella Palacios, Lt. Gov. David M. Apatang and daughter Elaine Apatang at the conclusion of the inauguration ceremony Monday morning at the multi-purpose center in Susupe.
ARNOLD Indalecio Palacios, 67, and David Mundo Apatang, 74, were sworn in on a rainy Monday morning as the CNMI’s 10th governor and 13th lt. governor.
Their inaugural ceremony was held at the Governor Pedro P. Tenorio Multi-Purpose Center in Susupe, and was witnessed by dignitaries and community members. The event was also livestreamed by Northern Marianas College.
Variety learned that Palacios and Apatang were first sworn in during a private ceremony on Monday at midnight, becoming the CNMI’s first Independent governor and lt. governor.
Justice John A. Manglona administered the oath to Apatang while Chief Justice Alexandro C. Castro administered the oath to Palacios.
Palacios previously served as lt. governor, Senate president, House speaker, secretary of the Department of Lands and Natural Resources, and director of the Division of Fish and Wildlife.
He was born on Saipan and attended Mt. Carmel School, later earning his bachelor of science degree in business administration/management at Portland State University.
He is married to Wella Sablan Palacios and they have four children: Arnold Gerard, Nicole, Tiana, and Eric, and several grandchildren.
Apatang is the first military veteran to become lt. governor. He previously served as a two-term mayor of Saipan, a House member, a member of the Saipan and Northern Islands Municipal Council, chief of procurement and supply, and state director of the U.S. Selective Service System.
A Vietnam War veteran, he retired from the U.S. Army as a first sergeant after serving two decades as a recruiter, platoon sergeant, operations officer, station commander, drill sergeant, and a non-commissioned officer.
He was born on Guam and attended George Washington High School. While in the Army, Apatang earned a bachelor of arts degree in speech and communications from San Francisco State University.
He and his late wife Antonia Pangelinan Mafnas Apatang have five children: Elaine, Kimberly, Victoria, Deyna, and David John, and several grandchildren.
The inaugural ceremony included the blowing of the sawi, the posting of the colors by the CNMI Color Guard, the singing of the U.S. national anthem and the CNMI anthem by the MHS Rhythm N’ Harmony Glee Club, and an opening invocation and closing benediction by Rev. Fr. Isaac Ayuyu, the new governor’s former classmate.
The mistress of ceremonies was Patricia Coleman.
Immediately following the inaugural ceremony, lunch was served to the dignitaries at Saipan World Resort. The Marianas Ball was held at 6 p.m. at the Pacific Islands Club Saipan, while the Dignitary Ball was held at Kensington Hotel Saipan.
Inaugural address
In his inaugural address, the new governor said it is “fitting that I take my oath of office today in what we used to celebrate as Commonwealth Day. In [1978], exactly 45 years ago, on this very ground where we stand and sit, the first governor of the Commonwealth, Governor Carlos Camacho, was sworn into office, establishing the first constitutional government of the Commonwealth, and a peaceful transfer of governance that we bear witness every four years.”
Palacios added, “This brief lesson in history is not intended to impress you with how old Dave and I are, but to remind us all of the enduring legacy of democracy and the principles of shared duties and responsibilities among the three branches of government that the founding fathers of our Commonwealth have bestowed upon us.”
Palacios said: “As I look back on what has brought us all here today, I am humbled by the overwhelming support of our people who have banded together to elect David and I to the highest elected executive office of the Commonwealth. Not only are we the oldest elected governor and lieutenant governor, we are the first candidates from a non-recognized political party to be elected governor and lieutenant governor.”
“I say this,” he said, “not to pat ourselves on the backs, but to acknowledge the winds of change in the Commonwealth. The people have spoken and your voices were heard. Social media and its influence and public opinion have given people a sense of their own independence of mind and courage to speak up, be heard, and take a firm stand on their principles. With our amplified voices, we must not forget that we also need to listen to each other with civility and respect. There is a time and place for civil disobedience and now, more than ever, civil discourse and consensus-building are necessary.”
Palacios said for “the task before us, there are no easy answers and no quick fixes, just plain old hard work and sacrifices. We are aware and prepared to work harder than we’ve ever worked before, to do what it takes to ride and sail and navigate toward a better future for the Commonwealth. In doing so, we will be honest about what we’re doing, why we’re doing it, and what we hope to achieve.”
He said what “propelled people to the polls in November was fiscal accountability and the growing evidence, unfortunately, of the squandering of tax dollars. With disaster recovery efforts incomplete and a continuing global health pandemic taking an unimaginable toll on our economy and our lives, the alarm went out on the need to rein in excess government spending and to use public funds wisely.”
Palacios added, “When unchecked, the arrogant use of power never amounts to any good. The people saw through the attempts to hide what greed and corruption have sown, and in recent days, the revelation of the much-advertised BOOST Program may have just given us a glimpse of the scale of mismanagement and irresponsible use of public funds.”
“The emerging facts…on the state of our fiscal health are dismaying,” he said. “Our people deserve so much better. We are prepared to take charge and rebuild your trust in your government, and we will need the support of the collective leadership of the Commonwealth. We will need the support of every elected public servant in the Commonwealth to get this done.”
Palacios said to “get ourselves back to fiscal stability, we must do so by exercising fiscal discipline, and leading by example is not a problem for Dave and myself. We are both known for our frugal ways. We don’t look for luxury travel or extravagant expenses for fixtures and unnecessary use of public service and resources for personal or leisure time. The time to live within our means has truly come. We will work closely with our Legislature to push through initiatives to stabilize the fiscal health of our government, and we will reveal past use of public funds and will pursue, with the assistance of the attorney general, the options of recoupment from those individuals and companies that made out like bandits. Our people deserve better.”
As for the Department of Public Safety, Palacios said it “certainly needs a major overhaul. We will be appointing a commissioner who has the extensive enforcement experience, who will emphasize training of our officers, upgrade our investigative facilities, and reestablish the cooperation we once had with our federal agencies. We will ensure that our essential frontline workers are taken care of and treated fairly.”
Palacios said his administration “will get back on track with our disaster rebuilding projects, especially for our [public schools]. We will hold our Housing Corporation and the Public Assistance Office to the fire. They will be put to tasks, to ensure compliance as deadlines for use of federal funds approaches. We will strive to construct the new school building that our federal partners have trusted us to do.”
Palacios said the children “have borne the brunt of our natural disasters and the pandemic, and they deserve way better than the Yutu emergency temporary tents that perhaps are still being used for over four years. Our Board of Education and [the Public School System] must account for that delay. Seriously, we have to do better. We will take care of our teachers and ensure that PSS receives the lawful share of public funds without delay.”
He added, “Let’s take stock of what size of government we really need. The ARPA funds were not designed to balloon the size of government and fund extravagant projects. And we will focus on sustainable growth in our workforce.”
Palacios acknowledged that “it will take longer to put our government in order, to fix our public schools. It will take longer to fix our roads, sewer, and water systems. And it will take more time to build capacity. They will all be done. Dave and I will commit our term to work very hard. It will require a unified effort. Throughout our government, across all branches, and across all our islands, we must stand together with the common goal of protecting our Commonwealth and its future.”
Palacios said he and Apatang “are ready to move forward to face the challenges and to sail the Commonwealth’s proa through the rough waters ahead.”
‘Honeymoon’
In his inaugural address, Lt. Governor Apatang said:
“We all have heard, the honeymoon is over. This saying we can use to describe many instances in our lives: relationships, observations, and of course, marriage. In politics, as we have seen and witnessed firsthand, so many times, it is the executive branch and the legislative branch that often begin a new relationship after the midterm and general election. We can describe the new beginning as reiterating promises to work together, to establish policies that aim to resolve pressing issues that make our people’s lives hard and difficult, and to cooperatively work together to leave ourselves out of financial and economic sinkholes. Those new beginnings rooted deeply in campaign promises will soon take a left or right turn and those involved, soon, will diverge in different directions. That is the moment we say the honeymoon is over. The relationship between the governor and lt. governor is no different. It should be expected that not every day will be fine and dandy. That will be impossible. Governor Arnold and I will start our four-year term in a similar fashion: honeymoon.”
Apatang added, “I am here to tell you that Governor Palacios and I will definitely have different views on issues affecting our everyday lives, our economy, our priorities, our politics, etc., and no matter what I do, or what Governor Palacios can do, it will be inevitable that we’ll disagree. As in marriage, disagreements are important ingredients in keeping a healthy and productive marriage…. Relationships are like weather; we can expect a bright sunny day; a dark, overcast, rainy day; or a very stormy day. As longtime politicians, Governor Palacios and I are what you call ‘seasoned politicians.’ And that is exactly what we are. From years and years of experience in politics, our conduct and temperament have matured, and our mutuality of respect will always be the strictest guiding principle we will abide by. Rest assured that there will be no divorce or separation when the honeymoon is over.”
Apatang said they will start their four-year term “with many pressing issues, like deteriorating infrastructure, rising prices of goods, labor, materials and other things, depleting federal aid, mounting debts, mounting deficits, uncertainty in the job market, a struggling travel industry, rising demand for public service, growing unemployment, a stagnant economy, and, not leaving out a huge liability — the abandoned construction project in Garapan, the unfinished casino and hotel. We will find answers that work for many of our challenges. It will take a partnership to do so, and we pledge to work alongside the Legislature and the public that have a stake in overcoming challenges and improving our lives.”
He added, “We believe our best bet to keep us afloat…is our available abundant local resources, our businesses, and our environment. Turning our Commonwealth into a friendly and safe, affordable, clean destination just might bring back tourists from Japan and South Korea. We just need to turn our attention to these two tourist markets and convince them to return to our beautiful Northern Marianas. Time and again, Japan and South Korea have proven to us that they have been our strongest visitor sources. No need to reinvent the wheel anymore when we have seen in the past that our economy grew when we did something right.”
Sad demonstration
Apatang also acknowledged that the recent campaign season “was a sad demonstration of how letting zealous emotions in politics get too deep in a way. Governor Palacios and I apologize to you, the voters, for subjecting you to such antics that none of us have ever witnessed in our lifetime even when political campaigning was at its boiling point. Our younger generation should be exposed to civility, courteousness and respect. Our Commonwealth is a small community, and we cannot campaign…like how others campaign for office in our nation’s government. We do not have to mimic others in how to campaign. We can win on simplicity. Arnold and I have been in politics for many, many years, and it has taught us that campaigning on our strength, not on the faults of others, whether true or untrue, shows respect to the other party and respect to the public. Arnold and I want to encourage our up-and-coming young generation to campaign on their strength, on relevant issues, on workable solutions, not on faults, weaknesses and misfortune of others. Let the public be the judge of our actions for they know they are capable of making sound evaluations as anyone else. Let us preserve our friendship by respecting one another.”
Apatang became emotional as he paid tribute to his late wife, Antonia, who passed away in December 2016.
“I must say that I got into this campaign with my family behind me, and it has not been easy for them. If my life partner were here today with me, she’ll be making sure I was getting enough rest, eating right, and she will be sharing her most beautiful smile with me and all of you. To my wife, si yu’us ma’ase for getting me forward. We made it. Thank you.”
