DIVISION of Customs and Biosecurity Director Jose Mafnas, who has been reassigned to the Department of Commerce, calls it an “injustice” and “politics at its best.”
Mafnas is a supporter of the independent Palacios-Apatang gubernatorial ticket.
In a memorandum, Finance Secretary David DLG Atalig said Mafnas is the new director of export, importation and public outreach — a position that Mafnas said does not exist.
He said Customs is currently tightening enforcement on Rota and Tinian by training and sending more enforcement officers to the two islands.
He noted that Customs has also intercepted a “significant amount” of crystal meth over the last five months at the post office, the Francisco C. Ada/Saipan International Airport and at the Port of Saipan.
In his memorandum on Thursday, the Finance secretary told Mafnas that his transfer takes effect Friday, July 22, “and shall remain in effect for six months or until otherwise determined by either the Secretary of Commerce or myself, as Secretary of Finance.”
Atalig said Mafnas “will not experience any loss in your employment rights or benefits. Your civil [service] status has not, and will not change, nor will you have a reduction in pay or benefits during this period.”
Atalig said Mafnas’s new job is to conduct a “thorough review” of all alcohol, tobacco, and related products as well as import policies that fall under the law enforcement purview of the Division of Customs and Biosecurity and the Alcohol, Beverage, Tobacco Control Division.
Mafnas will provide a written report to the secretary of Commerce that will include “comprehensive cross-sector analyses, and recommended changes to the statute, rules and regulations.”
In his memo, Atalig told Mafnas: “You have been a productive and competent leader as director of the Customs and Biosecurity Division and a valued member of our management team at our Department of Finance. Your leadership and vision have resulted in nothing less than outstanding performance of the Customs Division alongside our entire staff at our main ports of entries, demonstrating success in core areas of relentless enforcement and historically high collections of fees.”
However, Atalig said, after “a careful review of the opportunities for improvements in core management areas across the executive branch over the last couple of months I have decided with reservation to reassign you to the Department of Commerce. This decision was based primarily on exactly the high-level knowledge, skills and abilities you have demonstrated and performed…and for which your progressive solutions-driven leadership is summoned at the Department of Commerce….”
Nonexistent
Mafnas said he has checked with Commerce and the Office of the Attorney General and was told that no such division in the Department of Commerce exists.
“To me, personally, it is just politics at its best,” Mafnas said. “But the question is why? I have done a lot for this division.”
He doesn’t believe that it was the Finance secretary who wanted Mafnas transferred. He must have been taking orders, Mafnas added.
He said his transfer took effect immediately and that he was not even given the time to pack up or prepare for his transfer.
Mafnas also finds it “insulting” that his name was removed from the program of the Ninth Cycle Customs & Biosecurity Academy graduation ceremony set for Monday. Mafnas was supposed to deliver the welcoming remarks.
“The Finance secretary emailed the graduation planners informing them to remove my name from the program and not to include me in…the program,” Mafnas said.
Mafnas said he has been with the cadets and has talked to them over the past four months.
He said he met with them on Thursday to share the remarks he had prepared for Monday.
“I talked to them heart to heart. And one of the comments that I made is that the biggest challenge here at Customs, besides customs violations, is politics,” Mafnas said.
Mafnas, who has been with CNMI Customs since 1984, said his transfer is “an injustice to me and to the employees.”
He said his management team members were “shocked.”
“But whoever ordered this — this is just how they play their game. I am going to confront it. I will not let this go easy. It is not about my position as director. It is to make sure that others, too, will not be treated like this. If I would defend everybody, I will do that. I am sure other directors will probably receive this kind of letter if I keep quiet. But I am not. I am going to be loud. I am not going to be silent and allow these people to do this.”
He added, “I know my rights. I’ve been in this battle before, and I will defend myself. Not the position but the principle behind it because I believe if politics gets involved, the same problem that had infected Customs before is going to come back again.”
Customs and Biosecurity Director Jose Mafnas talks to the members of local media at the Customs headquarters in Puerto Rico on Thursday.
