Juan M. Sablan, who was the CRA president before he was appointed to Commonwealth Casino Commission in 2014, noted that the current situation will make it difficult for the CNMI government to continue to meet its obligations to the Settlement Fund — and to continue paying 25% of the retirees’ pension.
The settlement agreement mandates the payment of 75% of a retiree’s pension.
Outgoing Vice Speaker Lorenzo I. Deleon Guerrero, who opted to receive his retirement pension instead of getting his salary as a lawmaker, said it is a good idea to reactivate CRA, and added that he applauds Sablan for bringing it up.
He said if at least one-third of the retirees in the Commonwealth will become active members, then the group will be large enough to air their sentiments on issues regarding their pension.
He said retirees must be protected because the CNMI Constitution requires the government to pay their pension.
“Through CRA, the retirees will have a louder voice and will be a strong organization,” Deleon Guerrero said.
He said the retirees’ group should also be “proactive” in determining the fate of the Saipan casino industry.
For his part, another retiree, former Rep. Mario Taitano, who became a casino commissioner in May 2020, said retirees should press casino investor Imperial Pacific International to meet its obligations to the CNMI government. “We [retirees] cannot rely on other resources that are committed to other government functions and services,” he added.
“So it is important that we keep on pressing IPI to pay the license fee, and the law must be amended so that the license fee goes to retirees,” said Taitano who stressed that he was speaking strictly as a retiree and not as a casino commissioner.
