Most of those who resigned were with the community services division. Their contracts will end in September.
They included Olinka Chaudhry, the mayor’s youth coordinator; Florence Camacho Stephen, the mayor’s executive secretary; and Liza DeLeon Guerrero, administrative assistant.
Mike Somorang from the human resources office also resigned together with Nolin Cruz and Donal Mendiola.
They are among the 32 workers whose contracts had to be renewed every three months.
Their contracts were last extended on June 7.
According to one of the mayor’s employees, who refused to be identified, the workers have resigned because “they can no longer take the mayor’s unfair treatment.”
“Every time our contract is due to expire we always get a sort of threat from the mayor telling us that we ’better be good,’ ” the employee said.
The mayor, the employee added, prefers to “accommodate” his close relatives.
The mayor’s daughter Elizabeth M. Tudela is working as his administrative assistant. His granddaughter Gemmalyn Tudela Tenorio and grandsons Derol Tudela Tenorio, Jonathan Tenorio and Nick Tenorio also work at his office.
Jose Tenorio, the mayor’s son-in-law, is operation director of youth services.
“There are other relatives of the mayor working at his office,” the employee said.
During the 2008 Liberation Day celebration, Tudela appointed his son-in-law Manuel Tenorio, husband of Elpidia, the mayor’s daughter, as over-all chairman. Elpidia Tenorio also acted as treasurer of the committee.
Taotao Tano president Gregorio Cruz Jr. wants to know if the mayor’s daughter and son-in-law who had booths at the Liberation carnival grounds paid the $1,500 fee.
The mayor could not be reached for comment as of press time.
The mayor’s daughter won the round-trip ticket to the U.S. in the Liberation Day raffle draw.
“Why did the mayor write a justification letter attesting and confirming that the round-trip ticket to anywhere around the world that was donated by Northwest Airlines truly belongs to his daughter?” Cruz asked.
Cruz has filed a complaint with the Office of the Public Auditor and the Attorney General’s Office regarding these “unfair practices” at the mayor’s office.
Last week, the Saipan and Northern Islands legislative delegation deferred the adoption of a resolution appropriating $20,000 for next year’s Liberation Day festivities.
Rep. Ramon A. Tebuteb, R-Saipan and the delegation chairman, said the mayor’s office has yet to submit the Liberation Day financial report for this year.
