SENATE Minority Leader Pete P. Reyes yesterday criticized the leadership’s move to “hurriedly” adopt Senate Resolution 13-12, which named Jose M. Dela Cruz, D-Tinian, as the new Senate vice president, and Thomas P. Villagomez, R-Saipan, as the new Senate legislative secretary.
In his remarks during the Saipan legislative delegation session, Reyes said the senators were not given the “opportunity to digest” the resolution before its adoption.
“This has become a routine practice,” Reyes, R-Saipan, said. “I have no objection to Dela Cruz becoming the vice president or to Villagomez as the legislative secretary. For the first time they acknowledged Saipan through Senator Villagomez. But they did not follow the proper and legal procedures—they did it the vigilante or the gangster way,” Reyes said.
Sen. Ramon S. Guerrero shared Reyes’ sentiments. He also said that the “problem of not having a budget is because of Manglona.”
Guerrero, American Reform-Saipan, thinks Gov. Juan N. Babauta can do something about the “marginalized” situation of Saipan lawmakers in the Senate.
If his colleagues can’t accept the resolution, Villagomez’s advice is “to take the matter to court.”
But Manglona, R-Rota, could not understand why Reyes accuses him of being undemocratic.
“The resolution was introduced by six members and later on was adopted by seven out of eight members present during the session. This is more than 2/3 of the vote. And I can’t see why it is undemocratic,” he said.
He said he also recognized Reyes during the session. “In fact, based on his motion, we cited the appropriate rules before adopting the resolution. I don’t know what he really wants,” he said.
Manglona has this advice to Reyes and Guerrero: “They should look at themselves first on the mirror. A minority group in the Senate started the chaos and instigated the coup. But we still told tell them to forget about it and move forward,” he said.
