By Bryan Manabat
[email protected]
Variety News Staff
GOVERNOR David M. Apatang on Thursday dismissed concerns raised by the Senate and Saipan Mayor Ramon “RB” Camacho over the firing and reinstatement of Department of Public Safety Commissioner Anthony Macaranas, saying the matter is now with the attorney general. The governor also questioned why the mayor is involved at all.
The exchange occurred during a press conference announcing the rollout of the Disaster Nutritional Assistance Program. Apatang was asked whether he had a response to the Senate’s and the mayor’s concerns about the commissioner’s authority following his reinstatement.
“I have no idea why the mayor is involved in that,” said Apatang, who defeated Camacho in the 2014 and 2018 mayoral elections. “He should go out and clean the damn island. That’s his job, you know. The AG is looking at that. I sent it to the AG to look into it.”
Apatang added: “You tell the mayor to start doing his job. Leave me alone and let me do my job.”
The governor’s remarks come after Mayor Camacho, a retired police major, formally requested an attorney general’s opinion on whether Macaranas’ reinstatement — following his termination by Lt. Gov. Dennis Mendiola in his capacity as acting governor — triggered the Senate’s advice-and-consent requirement under Article III of the CNMI Constitution and 1 CMC § 2902.
In his June 17 letter, Camacho warned that uncertainty over the commissioner’s legal status “undermines department leadership, chain of command, officer’s morale,” and ultimately compromises public safety.
The Senate has also questioned whether the reinstatement constitutes a new appointment requiring legislative review.
Apatang did not address those constitutional issues directly, reiterating only that the attorney general is reviewing the matter.
Bryan Manabat was a liberal arts student of Northern Marianas College where he also studied criminal justice. He is the recipient of the NMI Humanities Award as an Outstanding Teacher (Non-Classroom) in 2013, and has worked for the CNMI Motheread/Fatheread Literacy Program as lead facilitator.
