Many of the landowners have left the island already and some have passed away, he added. Most of them have not seen a penny for their property that was acquired by the government for public use.
“This is not fair,” Babauta told House members who asked him about available public lands for homestead projects.
He urged the lawmakers to work with Marianas Public Land Trust to look into possibility of floating a bond to pay landowners.
In 2004, the government floated a $40 million bond for land compensation claims, but $11 million of the amount went to the construction of the federally mandated prison facility in Susupe, while $2 million was allotted for dialysis facilities on Rota and Tinian.
The facilities on those islands were never constructed.
In Dec. 2006, DPL told Variety that the government would not be able to pay 327 landowners. At the time, the land compensation debt was $44.7 million.
Now, according to Ramon Salas, director of DPL’s land claims division, the government’s debt is between $75 million and $80 million.
Babauta said this amount includes interest. There were also some private land acquisitions that happened over the last five years.
He asked lawmakers to find a way to allow MPLT to serve as a guarantor when floating another bond.
Rep. Ramon S. Basa, Covenant-Saipan and chairman of the House Committee on Ways and Means, assured Babauta that they will look into the issue “seriously.”
