Department of Community and Cultural Affairs Secretary Melvin O. Faisao handed Gov. Benigno R. Fitial the applications during the blue ribbon committee meeting held at the Carolinian Utt.
Aside from Faisao, the other administration officials who have been consistently attending the blue ribbon committee and have pledged to follow the governor to the Republican Party include Department of Lands and Natural Resources Secretary Ignacio Dela Cruz, Customs Director Jesus Muna, Division of Environmental Quality Director Marvin Rabauliman, Office of Personnel Management Director Sid Seman, Department of Public Safety Commissioner Ramon Mafnas, Department of Public Lands Secretary Oscar M. Babauta, DPL planning director Pat S. Rasa, Commonwealth Development Authority board member Pete Itibus, Commonwealth Public Utilities Commission board member Viola Alepuyo and Carolinian Affairs Office Executive Director Angie Mangarero.
Many former elected and appointed officials have also been attending the meeting presided by former Speaker Oscar C. Rasa.
Former Speaker Rasa said 1,377 are rejoining the Republican Party but 300 of them, for some reason, are not ready to reveal their names, at least for now.
Susana Deleon Guerrero, president of the CNMI Women’s Association, said she told Fitial she believes that the Republican Party will adopt the Covenant Party’s commitment to protect the interest of the CNMI’s indigenous people.
Manny Mangarero said he respects the position of those who want to stay with the Covenant Party, “but if everybody already agrees it is important for the CNMI to become solidly Republican, then, these people still loyal to Covenant Party are just holding us back.”
Former Sen. Herman R. Guerrero, a former Democrat, said he knows how hard it is for the governor to abandon the party he created but he understands it very clearly.
Fitial as a “father of the land” has to do something that will benefit the people, Guerrero said. “Just like any parent, the governor has to look for the survival of the family.”
The CNMI is in a very dire economic situation and the only way to survive is to align with the party that controls the U.S. House of Representatives, Guerrero added.
A long-time local Republican chairman, Fitial bolted the GOP in 2001 to found the Covenant Party.
