Speaker Edmund S. Villagomez speaks during a House session earlier this year.
Dennis James C. Mendiola
SPEAKER Edmund S. Villagomez was elected to lead the 24th House of Representatives during a recent caucus of the Independent-Democrat-led House leadership. In the incoming Senate, Rota’s Dennis James C. Mendiola will be the new president.
First elected in 2009, Villagomez will begin his eighth term as a House member in January and serve as speaker for the third time.
In an interview on Tuesday, he said, “I’ve been very fortunate to be selected speaker again.”
The incoming House leadership, in a caucus three weeks ago, also selected Precinct 1 Rep. Diego Vincent F. Camacho to be the new vice speaker and Precinct 3 Rep. Marissa Flores as the new House floor leader.
The committee chairs will be announced during the inaugural session at 10 a.m. on Jan. 13, 2025.
“With the way things are, we should be good,” Villagomez said. There are a few committees “that they might have to go over again, but for the most part, the chairmanship is already set,” he added.
The Saipan and Northern Islands Legislative Delegation chairman, Rep. John Paul P. Sablan, in a separate interview, said he was reelected to lead the delegation.
Sablan, who will serve his seventh term, noted that the number of members in the incoming House leadership has decreased to 13 from 16.
Besides House Minority Leader Patrick San Nicolas, who ran unopposed on Tinian, the reelection of Rep. Roy Ada and Rep. Joseph Flores in Precinct 1, Rep. Thomas John Manglona in Precinct 5, and the victories of Rep.-elect Danny I. Aquino in Precinct 2 and Rep.-elect Elias M. Rangamar in Precinct 3 will increase the minority bloc to seven members, compared to four in the 23rd House.
Villagomez said “if you check our record, we always welcomed the minority. Some of the bills we passed and were signed into law were from the minority, and we always opened committees for the members of the minority. We don’t shut them out.”
Villagomez said he always encourages committee chairs to include minority bloc members in their respective committees.
“I also do what I can to help them,” he added, referring to the minority bloc.
New Senate leadership
In the Senate, Rota’s Dennis James C. Mendiola thanked his colleagues for choosing him as the new Senate president.
Since the 15th Legislature, the Senate has abided by a “gentlemen’s agreement” to pass the presidency of the Senate from one senatorial district to another in rotation.
Mendiola will succeed Edith Deleon Guerrero of Saipan, who, in turn, succeeded Jude Hofschneider of Tinian.
In an interview on Wednesday, Mendiola said, “I am deeply honored and humbled to be selected by my colleagues as the next Senate president for the 24th Legislature. I am grateful for the trust they have placed in me, and I am committed to leading with a focus on the collective good.”
“Together, we will work to advance the best interests of our Commonwealth, our municipalities and people,” he added.
The 24th Senate’s vice president will be Tinian Sen. Karl King-Nabors, who ran unopposed in November, while the floor leader will be Rota’s Donald M. Manglona, who is the vice president in the current 23rd Senate. The legislative secretary will be Tinian’s Sen. Frank Q. Cruz, who will serve his eighth term in the Senate.
The two incoming Senate members are Sen.-elect Manny Gregory T. Castro of Saipan and Sen.-elect Ronnie M. Calvo of Rota.
In a separate interview, Manglona said, “I am excited with the new leadership in the 24th Senate.”
“We are coming together to push initiatives that will benefit not only the people of our district but also the entire Commonwealth,” he added.
He said even if there’s no one from the Third Senatorial District or Saipan in a top leadership position, “each of our colleagues representing the Third Senatorial District is very involved in the process that takes place here in the Senate.”
“Despite not holding leadership positions, their commitment and dedication to sharing the needs of the Third Senatorial District is something that the rest of the Senate will assist with and help push forward, with whatever plans they would like to achieve,” Manglona said.
“We are here to work together and assist the districts the best way we can and see how we can improve the life of the Commonwealth as a whole,” he added.
