EDWARD Eladio Manibusan is seeking a third four-year term as the CNMI attorney general.
With family members and friends, he filed his candidacy at the Commonwealth Election Commission office on Monday.
Manibusan said there is still so much to be done as an AG, which is a nonpartisan position.
“We continue to do the work entrusted by the people to the AG’s office and we try to do our best to provide the best legal service to the Commonwealth and mostly the executive branch and public corporations,” Manibusan said.
“In the next few days, I will issue my report to the people of the Commonwealth, which will set out my initiatives,” he added.
In his petition for reelection, Manibusan noted that the past four years have been challenging due to several typhoons, the global pandemic and the resulting turnover in personnel.
“Notwithstanding the challenges, the Office of the Attorney General provided substantial legal advice and services to the Executive Branch and the autonomous agencies as well as provided comments to the Legislature on legislation that would have affected the lives of our citizens. Overall, the OAG’s Civil and Criminal Divisions secured favorable decisions in both Superior and Supreme Courts and negotiated settlements in cases on terms favorable to the Commonwealth,” he said.
If reelected, Manibusan said he will “ensure that the OAG lives up to its commitment to the rule of law, continue to ensure its independence and continue to deliver legal services and [advice] to our government and to the people of the Commonwealth.”
A former Superior Court presiding judge, an appointed attorney general and Department of Public Safety chief, Manibusan won the CNMI’s first AG election in 2014, and was reelected unopposed in 2018.
The last day to file candidacies is on Aug. 10.
Attorney General Edward Manibusan, right, shakes the hands of Commonwealth Election Commission Executive Director Kayla Igitol after filing his candidacy documents on Monday morning.
