MEMBERS of the Commonwealth Casino Commission on Thursday unanimously reelected their current officers: Edward C. Deleon Guerrero as chairman; former Speaker Ralph S. Demapan, vice chairman; former Tinian Mayor Ramon Dela Cruz, secretary; and former Rep. Mario Taitano, treasurer.
It was Taitano who moved to “retain the status quo,” saying, “We have so [many] issues ahead of us, so it is important to maintain the same set of officers.”
They will serve in their respective positions through April 30, 2023.
The terms of Deleon Guerrero, Demapan and Taitano as commissioners will end on April 30, 2026 while the term of Dela Cruz will end on April 30, 2024.
Taitano said the governor may nominate someone from Rota to replace Sen. Diego Songao who resigned as commissioner last year.
Dela Cruz said the governor may have to postpone the nomination because “we don’t know how far we can go without the juice necessary to keep us alive.”
Deleon Guerrero said he had reminded the governor that the commission doesn’t have funding for another commissioner.
The governor, he added, has agreed not to nominate a new commissioner.
The commission’s main source of funding is the annual $3 million regulatory fee that the lone casino licensee, Imperial Pacific International, can no longer afford to pay.
IPI, which is facing a number of federal and local lawsuits, shut down its casino in March 2020 due to the Covid-19 global pandemic.
In March 2022, the Superior Court affirmed the casino commission’s suspension of IPI’s exclusive casino license.
Commonwealth Casino Commission Executive Director Andrew Yeom, for his part, has filed five enforcement actions against IPI and is seeking the revocation of the casino investor’s exclusive license.
The commission has set a hearing for May 3, 2022.
From left, front row, Commonwealth Casino Commission treasurer Mario Taitano, chairman Edward C. Deleon Guerrero, vice chairman Ralph Demapan, and secretary Ramon Dela Cruz during a meeting Thursday at Springs Plaza in Gualo Rai.
