Commonwealth Ports Authority board member Pete P. Reyes, second left, speaks as Chairwoman Kimberlyn King-Hinds, third left, Personnel Committee Chairman Joseph Diaz, center, board members Ramon A. Tebuteb, second right, Thomas Villagomez, right, and board legal counsel Robert T. Torres, left, listen during a personnel committee meeting on Thursday.
THE Commonwealth Ports Authority’s administration on Friday rescinded its earlier selection of applicants for managers of the Francisco C. Ada/Saipan International Airport and Rota Sea Ports.
The CPA human resource division initially selected former Department of Public Safety Commissioner Robert A. Guerrero to be the new Saipan airport manager, and former Port of Saipan manager Rodney James SN Taisacan as the new Rota Ports manager.
The Saipan airport manager position became vacant when the airport manager, Edward Mendiola, was promoted to CPA deputy executive director. He then resigned in July.
For her part, the Rota ports manager, Sharlene M. Manglona, resigned in August.
CPA HR noted that Guerrero has a bachelor’s degree in public administration and over 18 years of managerial/supervisory experience overseeing a large number of employees such as his previous employment as commissioner of DPS.
Taisacan has over 27 years of managerial/supervisory experience in CPA. He was Port of Saipan’s manager for six years, 19 years as supervisor for Rota Seaport operations and three years assistant supervisor for flight service.
But in a board meeting on Friday, CPA Executive Director Christopher Tenorio stated that after consultation with the board, and in consideration of its recommendation, “I am hereby rescinding” the offer of employment for the Saipan airport and Rota ports manager positions, as a “new job vacancy announcement will be announced at a later date.”
No politics
During the CPA board’s personnel committee meeting on Thursday, CPA Board Chairwoman Kimberlyn King-Hinds and board member Pete P. Reyes urged everyone to “please keep politics away from” the hiring process.
King-Hinds and Reyes, whose terms are ending on Oct. 7, 2023, made these remarks after Rep. Vincent “Kobre” S. Aldan expressed concern about the CPA board’s moving ahead with the hiring of executive director and ports managers knowing that Gov. Arnold I. Palacios’ three nominees to the board would be confirmed soon.
Aldan said some respect should be rendered to the administration that has requested the board to refrain from hiring an executive director “to ensure a smooth and seamless transition for…new CPA appointees who will soon constitute a majority of the board overseeing CPA’s lead administrative personnel.”
He said those conducting the vetting process for the applicants should “not do…it politically.”
Reyes responded by telling his fellow board members, “I think it is appropriate to inform the congressman about the way CPA proceeds with the selection of who to hire so he understands that it is not a political matter.”
He said the vetting for applicants is done differently, adding that the selection committee is comprised of people from different organizations or agencies, like the Marianas Visitors Authority, that are affected by the operations of CPA.
Noting the CPA “is the gateway to economic development,” Reyes said the board needs to make sure that they protect the integrity of the ports authority.
He said the financial woes that CPA is facing now are not because CPA failed in its job and duties. It’s a global problem that the CNMI is experiencing “like any other jurisdictions” yet, “we try to survive,” he added.
He also reminded everyone that CPA, an autonomous agency, is not getting any appropriation from the Legislature.
CPA has an obligation to ensure it complies with its debt service ratio requirements, he said.
According to Reyes, if CPA fails to meet its debt service ratio, it would be placed under receivership.
In 1998, CPA and its bond trustee, Bank of Guam, entered into a bond indenture agreement committing the autonomous agency’s revenue to service bond principal interest. The agreement requires CPA to maintain a debt service ratio of 1.25.
Another CPA board member, Thomas P. Villagomez, said: “We are not political on that,” referring to the selection of a new executive director and managers.
