As governor in the mid-1990’s, Tenorio repeatedly clashed through the media with then-Speaker Benavente.
Tenorio yesterday relinquished the speaker’s gavel and asked Vice Speaker Felicidad T. Ogumoro, Covenant-Saipan, to preside over the session so he could speak on the House floor.
He then lambasted Benavente for accusing him, Tenorio, of something he did not do.
“Don’t bother a sleeping dog because it’s going to bite you back,” the speaker told Benavente, his nephew.
Tenorio, Covenant-Saipan, said he never made a deal with Senate Floor Leader Pete P. Reyes, R-Saipan, regarding the contract of Legislative Bureau Director Glenna SP. Reyes, in exchange for the senator’s supporting the Saipan casino bill.
Senator Reyes is the LB director’s husband.
“There is no such deal,” Tenorio said, reminding Benavente about the “hostile” relations between the two houses.
But Tenorio said he did promise Rep. Teresita A. Santos, Ind.-Rota, to appropriate $1.8 million to the Rota gaming commission if she could convince the Rota senators to support the casino bill.
He said he was glad the deal did not push through.
“But with Reyeses? I did not cut a deal with them,” Tenorio said.
He also said that Benavente’s referring to the constitutional process in removing the LB director is no longer an issue because the House leadership is not removing Mrs. Reyes.
The speaker said he is just presenting the fact that Mrs. Reyes’s contract “does not mean anything now” because it expired on Jan. 11, 2010.
But Benevente, R-Saipan ,said all the letters that Tenorio sent to Mrs. Reyes and Finance Secretary Bob Shrack speak for themselves.
Tenorio said Benavente should re-read his letters because “the minority leader doesn’t understand what he’s saying.”
“I don’t know what you meant when you ordered [Mrs.] Reyes to vacate her office? I don’t know what you meant when you told the Finance secretary to hold her salary?” Benavente asked.
He reiterated that what Tenorio is doing to the LB director is “harassment” and he believes that the speaker is wrong.
In his letter on Monday, Tenorio asked Shrack to make sure that no government funds are spent to pay the salary or benefits of Mrs. Reyes after Sept. 30.
He also asked the Finance secretary not to process any contract or other documents signed by Mrs. Reyes because she is no longer the LB director.
Tenorio said it’s now up to Finance whether to comply with his request.
But he said he will be the most surprised person on island if he is not proven right in this issue.
Tenorio wants former Sen. Maria T. Pangelinan to be the new LB director, but the House minority bloc and the Senate want Mrs. Reyes retained.
