Cabrera, R-Saipan, noted that LB Director Glenna SP. Reyes’ contract signed by then-Speaker Arnold I. Palacios and then-Sen. Maria Frica T. Pangelinan will expire on Sept. 30.
So “the timely meeting would be necessary to address this matter before the beginning of fiscal year 2012 on Oct. 1,” Cabrera told Manglona.
The speaker said the House leadership is requesting to meet with the Senate leadership “to ensure that we have a constitutionally appointed director of CNMI Legislative Bureau.”
Cabrera cited the CNMI Constitution which states that the LB director is to “be appointed by the joint leadership of the Legislature consisting of the presiding officers, vice officers, floor leaders and the chairmen of the standing committees.”
Reyes, the wife of Senate Floor Leader Pete P. Reyes, R-Saipan, had yet to see the speaker’s letter and declined to comment yesterday.
Manglona, who received a copy of the letter late in the afternoon, said he will ask the rest of the Senate leadership to sit down with their House counterparts so they can discuss the speaker’s request.
In October last year, then-Speaker Froilan C. Tenorio tried to remove Mrs. Reyes, saying her contract should have expired in Jan. 2010.
Tenorio wanted to appoint Pangelinan as the new director but none of the senators signed the appointment.
Instead, the Senate adopted Senate Resolution 17-27 reaffirming Mrs. Reyes’ appointment.
Backed by attorney Mark Hanson’s legal opinion, the resolution stated that Mrs. Reyes continues to be the duly appointed LB director unless and until properly removed as provided by the Constitution.
