THE Senate on Tuesday unanimously confirmed the nomination of Deputy Attorney General Lilian Ada Tenorio to the Superior Court.
Tenorio, who was nominated by Gov. Arnold I. Palacios on Nov. 22, 2023, will fill the seat of former Associate Judge Wesley Bogdan, who retired in December.
Tenorio will be the fourth female trial court judge of the CNMI, according to Senate Committee on Executive Appointments and Governmental Investigation Chair Celina R. Babauta, who made the motion to adopt the committee report recommending Tenorio’s confirmation.
All nine senators present voted to approve the committee report. Also present during the session were acting Gov. David M. Apatang, Special Assistant for Administration Oscar M. Babauta, Tenorio’s family, friends and other supporters.
SAA Oscar Babauta told the senators: “On behalf of the administration, mostly the acting governor who is with us today in this chamber, I wish to convey the administration’s message of gratitude and deep appreciation to all the Senate members primarily your committee of EAGI for the swift and expedient public hearings. Thank you very much.”
Apatang also thanked the senators for confirming the nomination of Tenorio, a former House legal counsel.
“I know, she’s got a lot of integrity and I know that she’s going to take care of our people of our Commonwealth,” Apatang said.
In an interview after her confirmation, Tenorio said she was very humbled by the overwhelming support of the Senate, and “of course I am also humbled by the confidence of the governor and lt. governor in supporting me and submitting my name to serve as the next judge of the Superior Court. So I am very happy with the overwhelming support of our leaders as well as the members of the community.”
In her committee report to the Senate, Sen. Babauta said the confirmation of the associate judge is “a significant event.”
“It is a moment when we entrust the scales of justice to a new champion, one who will uphold the law with fairness, integrity and unwavering dedication. The role of the associate judge is not one to be taken lightly. It demands not only legal expertise but also an unwavering sense of integrity and the unwavering fortitude to navigate the complexities of the legal system with compassion and wisdom,” the senator added.
A daughter of the first CNMI lt. governor, Francisco C. Ada, and the late Inez Seman Ada, Tenorio is an experienced lawyer whose credentials, experience and even-handed approach to the administration of justice make her an outstanding candidate for the Superior Court, Sen. Babauta said.
She added that Tenorio is a distinguished legal professional.
“Those who know her best speak of her impartiality and her passion for constitutional law and strong moral compass. These are the very qualities that are essential for an associate judge entrusted with the lives and destinies of our fellow citizens,” Sen. Babauta added.
Tenorio’s ascension to the bench, “signifies more than just her own personal triumph.” It also “represents a victory for the principles of diversity and inclusion that are so crucial to the legitimacy and fairness of our justice system. It reminds us that the pursuit of justice should know no bounds of race, gender or background.”
The senator then quoted the late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who had said, “Women belong in all places where decisions are being made.”
Deputy Attorney General Lilian Tenorio, center, poses for a photo with senators, her family and friends after the Senate confirmed her nomination on Tuesday.
