By Bryan Manabat
[email protected]
Variety News Staff
A PRECINCT 1 businessman and registered voter is calling on their six elected representatives to publicly disclose the legislation they have introduced and the accomplishments they have delivered since taking office, saying voters “deserve to see measurable results.”
The local businessman, who requested anonymity, said many constituents feel disconnected from the work of their elected officials.
“We elect them to represent us, but most people don’t know what bills they’ve authored or what they’ve done to improve our daily lives,” he said. “Precinct 1 deserves transparency. If they’ve been working hard, they should have no problem showing it.”
Precinct 1 is represented in the House of Representatives by Roy Ada (Republican), Vincent Seman Aldan (Independent), Roman C. Benavente (Independent), Diego Camacho (Democrat), Joseph A. Flores (Independent), and Raymond Palacios (Independent).
The businessman said he wants each lawmaker to publish a clear list of bills they have sponsored or co‑sponsored, along with updates on district projects, constituent services, and efforts to address long‑standing issues such as power reliability, road conditions, and economic recovery.
“Precinct 1 is the largest district. We should be seeing leadership,” he said. “People are struggling. We want to know who is fighting for us.”
He added that transparency is essential for rebuilding public trust, especially as the community continues to face economic and infrastructure challenges.
“If they want our votes again, they need to show us what they’ve actually accomplished,” he said.
In an email to Variety, Rep. Aldan said: “Absolutely. They can go to the legislative website and see all bills and resolutions I authored or sponsored. Should clarification be requested, I am open to meet with them.”
Rep. Camacho provided the following list of his accomplishments:
Bills/resolution introduced
HB 23-21 – “To amend the compensation of the CNMI Cannabis Commission members.”
HB 23-35 – “To enact a provision to provide tax incentives for employers who hire individuals with special needs.” (Co-authored) (Signed into law)
HB 23-50 – “To remove marijuana from all pre-employment drug testing for government applicants with certain exceptions; and for other purposes.” (Signed into law)
HB 23-65 – “To prohibit the selling of copper wire for a period of two years; and for other purposes.”
HB 23-73 – “To amend 1 CMC § 7406 (a)(4) to include the Office of the Public Auditor (OPA) vehicles in the definition of “Law enforcement vehicle”.
HB 23-89 – “To appropriate $380,529.33 generated under 4 CMC §53036; and for other purposes.” (Signed into law)
HB 23-108 – “To provide the Public Auditor with the power and duty to establish, develop and implement a training program on ethics and other related matters for all government employees and public officials of the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands.”
HB 24-12 – “To promote economic recovery and provide relief to CNMI taxpayers/businesses by waiving penalties and interest on unpaid taxes due to financial and socioeconomic hardships; and for other purposes.” (Pending Senate action)
HB 24-38 – “To establish a dedicated CNMI Emergency Reserve Fund (“Rainy Day Fund”) with annual mandatory deposits and procedures for fund disbursement in times of declared emergency, while ensuring fiscal accountability.” (Pending Senate action)
HB 24-47 – “To realign the authority and duties of the CNMI Department of Labor; and for other purposes.” (Pending Senate action)
HR 23-20 – “To honor and congratulate the CNMI Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps Drill Teams for their exceptional performance at the Golden Bear West Coast National Drill Meet.” (Passed)
Community service
• Spearheaded Precinct 1 trash drop-off /collection of metals, debris, white goods and household garbage with container bins as a relief to our precinct residents.
• Hosted the first ever precinct 1 art bazaar and swap meet event, supporting small businesses and entrepreneurs, bringing our constituents closer to family friendly events in the village.
• Continuous maintenance of precinct one parks, courts and bus stops.
• Respond to constituent assistance/requests.
• Continuous repair and maintenance of bus stops and parks to include secondary roads.
• Assist in the procurement of base course for various precinct 1 road repairs in collaboration with the mayor’s office.
• Sponsored the ongoing Tuesday Night Farmer’s Market at the Koblerville Youth Center grounds.
• Various community contributions and sports team sponsorships.
“Should you need any additional information or a details on specific legislation, please don’t hesitate to contact me via email at [email protected] or at (670) 664-8890.”
Attempts to reach the other representatives for comment were not immediately successful on Tuesday.
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.
