“This is a redundancy,” he said, after the Senate on Thursday passed the bill that will essentially take away the governor’s control over DPL.
Senate Floor Leader Jude U. Hofschneider, R-Tinian, said his bill will address the homestead needs of Northern Marianas descent people “neglected” by DPL.
But Del Rosario said there is no rationale behind the bill as DPL is attending to its homestead program.
He said DPL has an advisory board but it is not “attractive” because its members get no monetary compensation compared to the now defunct Marianas Public Land Authority which paid its directors $300 a day.
Gov. Benigno R. Fitial, with the approval of the Legislature, abolished the autonomous MPLA and created DPL.
Del Rosario is confident the governor will veto the bill.
“He knows what went on at MPLA very well,” Del Rosario added.
“This department was created by Article 12 of the CNMI Constitution,” he said. “The disposition of public lands falls under this department. It is not under the executive branch.”
Press Secretary Charles P. Reyes Jr. earlier said there is a danger “when politics is allowed to trump economics and sound, prudent management of scarce public resources.”
He said MPLA was tainted with excessive compensation, travels and other abuses.
