Cruz noted that the Indigenous Affairs Office is now working with another local group, the CNMI Descents for Self-Government and Indigenous Rights, whose spokesman and adviser is former Speaker Oscar C. Rasa.
“Indigenous Affairs has done nothing for the general welfare of our Chamorros and Carolinians,” Cruz said, reacting to Indigenous Affairs Office Resident Executive Gonzalo Q. Santos’ statement that was co-signed by Rasa.
Santos and Rasa, in their statement, enumerated the various programs and projects of the Indigenous Affairs Office.
Press Secretary Charles P. Reyes Jr., in a separate interview, said he was not aware of any political activity involving the office.
“There are certainly no election ongoing and no evidence of any use of government resources to promote any political candidate or party,” he said.
Reyes said they would welcome any investigation conducted by the Office of Public Auditor to address any legitimate concerns raised by any member of the public.
“This appears to be yet another one of Cruz’s attempt to discredit the administration for personal, vindictive reasons,” Reyes said.
Santos said his office is tasked to revise the Chamorro dictionary and translate the CNMI’s key political documents.
But Cruz said Chamorro and Carolinian dictionaries already exist and have been distributed throughout the Public School System and public libraries.
The translation of the CNMI Constitution, he added, is a waste of time and taxpayer money.
“There are no major amendments to our CNMI Constitution,” he said. “Indigenous Affairs is now rewriting/duplicating translations of the analysis of our Covenant and Constitution based on whose interpretation?”
Cruz said the office is serving “the primary goals of the Covenant Party in hopes of garnering votes in the next gubernatorial election.”
