AFTER much deliberation, the Commonwealth Election Commission on Friday afternoon certified 99 candidates who met the requirements of the law and whose names will be placed on the ballot for the Nov. 8 general election.
Regarding the CEC’s challenge to the candidacies of Rota mayoral hopeful Alfredo Taisacan Taimanao and Edwin Raymond Borja Quitugua, who was seeking a seat on the Saipan and Northern Islands Municipal Council, the election board found that only Taimanao is eligible to remain a candidate.
The CEC was initially scheduled to hold public hearings on Monday for Quitugua, but due to health reasons, he did not appear before the election board.
Quitugua was deemed ineligible due to the lack of the necessary number of signatories on his petition.
The board proceeded with Taimanao’s hearing on Monday. He did not have any legal representation, nor did he submit a proposed order to the board for consideration before the Wednesday, August 24 deadline, but the board decided that he met the domiciliary and residency requirements to remain in the race for Rota mayor.
CEC Executive Director Kayla S. Igitol on Friday recommended the certification of Rota senatorial hopeful Crispin Manglona Ogo, who initially did not meet the requirements due to lack of communication with the election commission.
Igitol said Ogo had finally reached out to the election commission and provided all necessary documentation to be certified for the general election.
But one candidate lacked the necessary requirements to run for public office, Igitol said, referring to Republican Alfredo Litulumar Saures, who was vying for one of the six House seats of Precinct 3.
Igitol did not recommend Saures’s certification.
On Friday, Igitol and Election Board Chair Jesus I. Sablan signed Commission Resolution 22-1, certifying the following 99 candidates:
Governor/Lt. Governor
Christina Marie Elise Sablan/Leila Haveia Fleming Clark Staffler (Democrat)
Arnold Indalecio Palacios/David Mundo Apatang (Independent)
Ralph Anthony Deleon Guerrero Torres/Vinnie Vinson Flores Sablan (Republican)
U.S. Delegate
Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan (Democrat)
Attorney General (Non-Partisan)
Edward Eladio Manibusan
Juan Tudela Lizama
Rota Mayor
Aubry Manglona Hocog (Republican)
Teresita Apatang Santos (Independent)
Magdalena San Nicolas Mesngon (Independent)
Alfredo Taisacan Taimanao (Independent)
Harry James Atalig Masga (Independent)
Tinian Mayor
Edwin Palacios Aldan (Republican)
Saipan Mayor
Joseph Leepan Tenorio Guerrero (Republican)
Richard Tudela Lizama (Democrat)
Ramon Jose Blas Camacho (Independent)
Northern Islands Mayor
Valentino Nicky Taisacan (Republican)
Jocelyn Frances Aldan Kapileo (Independent)
Senate, Rota (2 seats)
Dennis James Camacho Mendiola (Republican)
Efraim Manglona Atalig (Republican)
Donald Manalang Manglona (Independent)
Edward Castro Maratita Jr. (Independent)
Crispin Manglona Ogo (Independent)
Senate, Tinian (2 seats)
Jude Untalan Hofschneider (Republican)
Francisco Quichocho Cruz (Republican)
Thomasa Rita Palacios Mendiola (Independent)
Senate, Saipan and the Northern Islands (2 seats)
Angel Aldan Demapan (Republican)
Janet Ulloa Maratita (Republican)
Celina Roberto Babauta (Democrat)
Corina Lorraine Magofna (Independent)
Andrew Sablan Salas (Independent)
House of Representatives
Precinct 1 (six seats)
Roy Christopher Aldan Ada (Republican)
Frankie Fernando Angel (Republican)
Arlene Marie Mendiola Reyes (Republican)
Patrick Matagolai Cepeda (Republican)
Lucinda Rose Rosario Selepeo (Republican)
Diego Vincent Fejeran Camacho (Democrat)
Edwin Kenneth Propst (Democrat)
Vincent Raymond Seman Aldan (Independent)
Roman Cepeda Benavente (Independent)
Shawn Byron Delos Reyes Kaipat (Independent)
Raymond Ulloa Palacios (Independent)
Joseph Arriola Flores (Independent)
Precinct 2 (two seats)
Keith Cabrera Ada (Republican)
Eric Bayani Esteves (Republican)
John Paul Palacios Sablan (Independent)
Manny Gregory Tenorio Castro (Independent)
Precinct 3 (six seats)
Grace Philip Sablan (Republican)
Ana Demapan Castro (Republican)
Quaid Taima Ngirchongor (Republican)
Carl Ogo Hocog (Republican)
Joaquin Sablan (Republican)
Vicente Castro Camacho (Democrat)
Lauren Yvonne Sonis Pangelinan (Democrat)
Denita Kaipat Yangetmai (Democrat)
Edmund Joseph Sablan Villagomez (Independent)
Blas Jonathan Tenorio Attao (Independent)
Ralph Naraja Yumul (Independent)
Marissa Renee Flores (Independent)
Delbert Taitano Pua (Independent)
Precinct 4 (two seats)
Cecilia Remedio Taitano (Republican)
David Randy Reyes Sablan (Republican)
Joel Castro Camacho (Independent)
Malcolm Omar (Independent)
Precinct 5 (two seats)
Thomas John Dela Cruz Manglona (Republican)
Ignacio Villagomez Cabrera (Independent)
Angelo Atalig Camacho (Independent)
Juan Ulloa Maratita (Independent)
Peter Reyes Muna (Democrat)
Precinct 6 (Tinian, one seat)
Patrick Hofschneider San Nicolas (Republican)
Frederick Arend Dela Cruz (Democrat)
Precinct 7 (Rota, one seat)
Ivan Mereb (Republican)
Edward Castro Barcinas (Independent)
Julie Marie Atalig Ogo (Independent)
Rota Municipal Council (Non-Partisan, 3 seats)
Jim Michael Atalig
Frederick Atalig Manglona Jr.
Jonovan Hocog Lizama
Lorita Mesngon Manglona
Cecile Florence Blas
Tinian Municipal Council (Non-Partisan, 3 seats)
Ana Marie Cruz San Nicolas
Joseph Evangelista Santos
Estevan Pangelinan Cabrera
Juanita Mendiola
Saipan and the Northern Islands Municipal Council (Non-Partisan, 3 seats)
Joseph Muna Mendiola
Marian Deleon Guerrero Tudela
Carmen Cabrera Pangelinan
Antonia Manibusan Tudela
Daniel Aquino Jr.
Liana Sablan Hofschneider
Eusebio Camacho Borja
Tinian, Board of Education (Non-Partisan, 1 seat)
Antonio Ramon Lunag Borja
Saipan and the Northern Islands, Board of Education (Non-Partisan, 1 seat)
Andrew Lujan Orsini
Robert Charles Harrell
Judges/Justices Retention (Non-Partisan)
Judge Joseph Norita Camacho
Judge Wesley Matthew Bogdan
Justice John Atalig Manglona
Boxes containing petitions of candidates for the Nov. 8 general election sit atop a table during the election commissioners’ meeting last week.
