THE Commonwealth Casino Commission cannot revoke Imperial Pacific International’s casino license without a quorum, CCC Chairman Edward C. Deleon Guerrero said on Friday during a CCC meeting.
Deleon Guerrero has recused himself from the revocation proceedings because he has to serve as an advocate for the petitioner, CCC Executive Director Andrew Yeom. Deleon Guerrero said he can no longer “unrecuse” himself.
He said in IPI’s ongoing Chapter 11 bankruptcy case, if the District Court for the NMI decides in favor of the Commonwealth government and allows CCC to proceed with the revocation of the casino license, the commission will be short one member to constitute a quorum.
The terms of former Commissioners Martin Mendiola who represented Rota, and Ramon M. Dela Cruz who represented Tinian, expired on April 30, 2024, leaving Saipan’s Deleon Guerrero, Mario Taitano and Ralph S. Demapan as the remaining members of the five-seat commission.
Deleon Guerrero said since he can no longer sit in a revocation hearing, the commission will only have two members, who cannot proceed because they don’t constitute a quorum.
He said Gov. Arnold I. Palacios has to appoint at least one member, which requires the Senate’s consent, in order for the commission to proceed with the revocation hearing in the event that the court allows CCC to move ahead with it.
“In order for the revocation to occur there must be a unanimous consent of the commissioners [during] the revocation hearing, provided that there must be at least three members,” Deleon Guerrero said.
Taitano said there seemed to be no sign that the governor will appoint members from Rota and Tinian.
Deleon Guerrero said even if the governor appoints members from Tinian and Rota, “I don’t know how they are going to pay for the plane ticket to come over here.”
Except for an annual $1 “budget” appropriated by the governor for the casino commission, it is not funded by the CNMI government. The CCC’s primary funding source is the regulatory fee paid by IPI, which has been unable to pay since it shut down its casino in March 2020 following the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic.
For the past four years, the casino commissioners have not been paid for performing their duties.
The CCC said IPI now owes the Commonwealth government $62.1 million in license fees and $17.62 million in regulatory fees due the commission.
