Commonwealth Casino Commissioners Martin Mendiola, left, and Ramon M. Dela Cruz, right, with Commission Chairman Edward C. Deleon Guerrero, center, Commissioner Mario Taitano, third left, and Vice Chairman Ralph S. Demapan, second right, during their monthly meeting on Thursday in the commission’s conference room in Gualo Rai.
WITH the expiration today, Tuesday, of the four-year terms of Martin Mendiola of Rota and Ramon M. Dela Cruz of Tinian, the Commonwealth Casino Commission will have three members left.
As of Monday. Gov. Arnold I. Palacios had not announced new nominees to the commission.
The terms of the remaining members — Commission Chairman Edward C. Deleon Guerrero, Vice Chairman Ralph S. Demapan and Commissioner Mario Taitano, all representing Saipan — will expire on April 30, 2026.
According to Public Law 18-56, which legalized casino gaming on Saipan and created the commission, the minimum number of members needed to constitute a quorum is three.
Taitano said this means that the three of them can continue to conduct business and meet regularly as a regulatory body.
For its part, Imperial Pacific International has submitted to the District Court of NMI for its approval a budget sheet for a $7 million loan from Hong Kong resident Loi Lam.
The proposed budget includes payment of the $3.15 million regulatory fee to the commission in June, and another $3 million in July.
In Jan. 2023, the casino commission office in Gualo Rai shut down due to lack of funding. The commission is funded by the annual $3.15 million regulatory fee that IPI has failed to pay since 2020.
Citing their duties mandated by law, the casino commissioners have continued to conduct meetings and hearings despite not getting paid.
Public Law 18-56 states that “Members of the Commission shall each be compensated at the rate of $40,000…for the first year of the Commission’s existence. After the first year of the Commission’s existence, Commissioners shall be compensated at the hourly rate of $20…for official Commission meetings attended. In addition, the Commissioners shall be reimbursed for their actual, necessary, and reasonable expenses incurred in the performance of their duties.”
Farewell
During the commission’s regular monthly meeting on Thursday, Mendiola and Dela Cruz delivered their farewell messages.
Mendiola said it’s been a “rewarding membership, however, the reward has not arrived yet.” He noted that the commission is still “looking forward to the product of the settlement.” He was referring to the stipulated agreement between the commission and Imperial Pacific International that was stalled by the Chapter 11 bankruptcy petition filed by the casino operator.
Mendiola said he believes there will be significant progress that can be built from the settlement. “We just need to, as a community, put our heads together, our wisdom together in making adjustments to the casino law and regulations to be successful,” he said.
Mendiola also asked the remaining commissioners to address the long-standing issue about the pending development of a burial site for ancestral remains next to the IPI hotel-casino in Garapan. He said the spirits of their ancestors may have been causing the casino industry’s never-ending problems.
For his part, Dela Cruz expressed his sincere appreciation to his follow commissioners, Executive Director Andrew Yeom and staff, the assistant attorneys general, and the members of the media for continuously covering the commission meetings.
He echoed Mendiola’s sentiment that government officials should come together and work for a successful gaming industry instead of certain lawmakers “chastising us, and never helping anybody.”
Dela Cruz said he wishes that IPI can bounce back and comply with all its obligations.
