THE Senate yesterday confirmed Gov. Juan N. Babauta’s five appointees but rejected one of their former colleagues who was nominated to serve on the Commonwealth Development Authority’s board of directors.
The senators confirmed the nominations of Health Secretary James U. Hofschneider, Labor and Immigration Secretary Joaquin A. Tenorio, Personnel Management Director Juan I. Tenorio, Retirement Fund Trustee David Hokin, Commonwealth Ports Authority board members Prudencio T. Manglona and former House Speaker Jose R. Lifoifoi.
They rejected former Sen. Edward U. Maratita’s nomination.
Sen. Thomas Villagomez, R-Saipan, abstained on Hokin’s confirmation. Hokin replaces Charles Reyes on the board of trustees.
Senate President Paul A. Manglona, R-Rota, abstained when former Rota Mayor Prudencio T. Manglona’s confirmation was put to a vote. The Senate president is the former mayor’s son.
Senate Vice President David M. Cing, D-Tinian, abstained on Lifoifoi’s confirmation.
By a 4 to 5 vote, the Senate rejected Maratita’s nomination.
He is the first nominee of Gov. Juan N. Babauta to be rejected by the Senate.
Those who voted to reject the nomination were Cing, Sens. Jose M. Dela Cruz, D-Tinian, Villagomez, Pete P. Reyes, R-Saipan, and Ramon S. Guerrero, American Reform-Saipan.
Those who voted for his confirmation were the Senate president, Sen. Ricardo S. Atalig, R-Rota, Sen. Diego M. Songao, Covenant-Rota, and Senate Floor Leader Joaquin G. Adriano, D-Tinian.
A Rota Republican, Maratita was a senator from 1990 to 1994, and from 1998 to 2002.
Cing, who chairs the Senate Committee on Executive Appointments and Government Investigation, submitted a report “strongly recommending” the rejection of Maratita’s nomination.
According to the report, Maratita was among the “top 5” delinquent clients of the Commonwealth Development Authority.
Allowing Maratita to sit on the board would prevent him from making fair decisions due to a “direct conflict of interest,” Cing said.
CDA’s legal counsel also wrote him a “disturbing letter” which prompted him to recommend Maratita’s rejection, Cing said.
The credibility of the Senate is at stake, he added.
CDA may also face lawsuits in the future from its clients if Maratita were confirmed, Cing said.
Atalig, however, urged his colleagues to confirm the nomination.
The Senate also adopted Senate Resolution 13-9 in support of Taiwan’s observer’s status at the World Health Assembly; S.R. 13-10, recognizing Ambrose Bennett’s contributions to the commonwealth; H.J.R. 13-6, creating a Japan-NMI Parliamentarian League; and H.J.R. 13-4, supporting the Marianas Islands Legislature Association.
However, the Senate did not act on H.B. 13-131, which seeks to approve the salaries of executive branch employees that exceeded the salary ceiling. The bill would only apply to the appointees of the previous administration.
