FORMER Judge Juan Tudela Lizama said he was surprised to learn that CNMI Attorney General Edward Manibusan declined to participate in the debate planned by the NMI Bar Association.
Lizama is running against Manibusan who is seeking a third term.
NMI Bar Association Executive Director Peoni Cabrera said Manibusan has declined the debate invitation. They are now considering whether to hold a question-and-answer forum with Lizama, Cabrera added.
Asked about Manibusan’s decision not to participate in the debate, Lizama on Wednesday said: “I don’t want to make an assumption on why he refused the debate invitation. There are only 20 days left before the election, so time is a factor.”
Lizama said he wanted to discuss the U.S. gun law that was made applicable to the CNMI as well as the shipping rates, among other things.
He said Manibusan did not appeal the federal court ruling on the gun law.
“That is a crucial appeal. That is a cultural issue, that is a Covenant issue. We had a restrictive gun law even before we negotiated the Covenant,” Lizama added.
“We are a very small island, and as more and more guns are available, we cannot be safe later on,” he said.
As for the shipping rates issue, Lizama said, “We are paying more than we have to, and much more on Rota and Tinian.”
Variety learned that there was no actual date specified for the NMI Bar Association’s AG candidates debate.
Manibusan did participate with Lizama in a virtual forum on the Marianas Agupa radio talk show on Sept. 17, 2022.
Attorney General Edward Manibusan, left, and former Judge Juan T. Lizama
