INDEPENDENT gubernatorial candidate Lt. Gov. Arnold I. Palacios and his running mate, Saipan Mayor David M. Apatang, said Gov. Ralph DLG Torres should give credit where credit is due whenever an infrastructure project is completed.
In a press conference on Thursday, Palacios criticized the governor for failing or refusing to recognize the hardworking individuals who are behind the road and other infrastructure projects.
He said just because Torres is the governor does not mean all these projects are his accomplishments.
The drainage and road repair project in San Jose, for example, is federally funded, Palacios said.
The project has not been completed yet, but the governor was “jumping out of his shoes to get his picture in the paper cutting the ribbon,” Palacios added.
Palacios, who chairs the CNMI Highway Task Force which is responsible for the implementation of road projects, said cutting the ribbon for a project that has not been completed, is “politicking,” and “very childish or juvenile.”
As for the Garapan Revitalization Project for which the governor led a groundbreaking ceremony, Palacios asked, “Is that his accomplishment? He needs to give credit where credit is due.”
Palacios said hardworking individuals put together proposals with the federal government and continued to work on the projects all the way to implementation, but the governor has forgotten to give credit to those individuals, the lt. governor added.
For his part, Mayor Apatang said his office has been doing what it is supposed to do for the people of Saipan. “We take care of the villages and all these roads, but the governor is not too responsive in giving us the funding that we need.”
The mayor added, “We asked for funding for road repairs but instead of giving us funds, he vetoed it because of political reasons and all that. He did that twice already.”
Independent gubernatorial candidate Lt. Gov. Arnold I. Palacios delivers his remarks during the Independent-Democratic appreciation rally at the Minatchom Atdao Pavilion in Susupe on Saturday.
