THE Commonwealth Election Commission on Monday morning conducted a public hearing on the eligibility of Alfredo Taisacan Taimanao to run for Rota mayor.
“In our database, it shows that Mr. Taimanao was a registered voter [in the CNMI] until 2012. In 2012, he registered with the Guam Election Commission. He didn’t come back and re-register with the Commonwealth Election Commission until January 2022,” said CEC Executive Director Kayla S. Igitol in her sworn testimony during the hearing.
Igitol was represented by Deputy Attorney General Lillian Tenorio.
For his part, Taimanao said he had conferred with Igitol and GEC Director Maria Pangelinan to confirm that GEC has no records of him ever registering as a voter on Guam.
Taimanao provided CEC with his Commonwealth Utilities Corporation bills, a photo of his home on Rota, and his Rota driver’s license.
However, the commissioners questioned each of the exhibits Taimanao presented, stating that the utility bills were sent to an address on Guam, not in the CNMI.
Moreover, although his home was built on Rota around 2012, he, his wife, and his children visited the island during their spare time only.
And while they are on Guam, no one resides in their home on Rota.
Now, Taimanao, having retired from the U.S. Postal Service, spends his time primarily in the CNMI.
Taimanao is married to a resident of Guam where their children also reside.
In her sworn testimony, Taimanao’s wife, Monica Guerrero Taimanao, defended her husband.
With her eyes welling with tears, she said her husband “loves Rota…. His heart is in Rota. He’s always told me that he wants to go back there. He even wants to be buried there. I love Rota, too, but I don’t know if I can live there and be buried there…I’m from Guam.”
The couple, who both served in the U.S. military, said that they have spent their time going back and forth between Guam and Rota.
“Our struggle is that our children are on Guam, but he wants to be on Rota… Rota is his home,” Mrs. Taimanao said.
Alfredo Taimanao and Igitol have until this Wednesday, Aug. 24, to submit to the CEC their respective proposed orders for consideration.
From there, the commissioners will deliberate and make a decision as soon as possible.
The last day for the election commission’s action on nominating petitions and candidacy documents is on Sept. 23.
Alfred T. Taimanao is sworn in prior to testifying before the Commonwealth Election Commission on Monday morning in the CEC conference room.
