AT a hearing before Superior Court Associate Judge Kenneth L. Govendo on May 18, Marvin Rodney Pangelinan and Jijing Borja, through their attorneys, orally requested for a jury trial to be scheduled.
After a brief discussion with the parties on whether a non-trial disposition was possible, Judge Govendo scheduled the jury trial for Feb. 12, 2024.
The Office of the Attorney General on March 28 filed information in Superior Court charging Pangelinan and Jijing Borja with one count of bribery each. They have denied the charge.
According to the AG’s office, Borja paid Pangelinan, an employee of the CNMI Division of Fish and Wildlife, $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.”
“On or about Feb. 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 Office of the AG stated.
The alleged transaction of Borja and Pangelinan was video recorded by Borja.
Pangelinan has denied the allegation while Borja told Variety that it was a “prank” to teach Pangelinan a lesson because he liked to “borrow money” from tourist guides.
At the hearing, Pangelinan was represented by attorney Richard Miller while Borja was represented by Assistant Public Defender Molly Dellert.
Assistant Attorney General Steve Kessel appeared for the government.
Kessel recently filed a bill of particulars for the case following a request from Pangelinan’s attorney.
According to the bill of particulars, Borja operates and/or is employed by Blue Ocean Tinian Corporation, the holder of a CNMI business license to operate as a scuba diving tour operator on Tinian.
But on Feb. 12, 2023, Blue Ocean or Borja did not have a business license to operate as a scuba diving tour operator on Saipan, nor did it or Borja possess a water sports permit issued by the CNMI Bureau of Environmental and Coastal Quality- Division of Coastal Resources Management.
Despite not having either a valid business license or water sports permit, Borja brought a group of tourists to the Grotto to go scuba diving, the bill of particulars stated.
It added that Pangelinan, while working in his official capacity as a conservation officer at the Grotto, requested to receive $200, and/or Borja offered to pay him $200, to allow Borja to conduct his business as a commercial scuba diving operator without the required water sports permit or business license.
