THE Rota Veterans Cemetery Designation Act was signed into law in November 2011, but the cemetery has yet to be constructed.
“Over 11 years have passed and there is still no update,” Rota Mayor’s Office special assistant Ignacio “Ike” Mendiola said. “No funding was provided by the Legislature for [the law’s] implementation.”
Veterans deserve a decent burial place, he added.
Currently, the island’s deceased veterans are buried at the San Jose Cemetery in Songsong.
In 2014, the Department of Public Lands designated two hectares of public land at Patten Gogue for the Rota Veterans Cemetery.
Mendiola said he has reached out to the Legislature and requested funding for the project.
“I also reached out to our delegate to the U.S. Congress back in 2021,” he added. The Rota Legislative Delegation tried to identify a federal grant or local funding through legislative appropriation “but to no avail,” he said.
He added that Rota’s new mayor, Aubry M. Hocog, plans to secure funding with the assistance of the executive branch and the 23rd Rota Legislative Delegation.
Hocog wants to initiate the permitting process and the construction phase as soon as possible.
“The cemetery should be constructed in honor of our fallen heroes for their unconditional sacrifices,” Mendiola said. “We owe it to our veterans, to our heroes, to provide them with a final resting place that honors their service to our nation,” he added.
