BECAUSE the House of Representatives and the Senate did not adopt the same joint resolution, the Legislature cannot hold a joint session to receive Republican Gov. Ralph DLG Torres’ State of the Commonwealth Address, Senate legal counsel Antoinette Villagomez said during Monday’s Senate session.
The Republican-led Senate, by a vote of seven in favor and one abstention, adopted Senate Joint Resolution 22-13 in a session that started at 8 a.m. while the Democrat-Independent-led House, by a vote of 15 to 5, adopted House Joint Resolution 22-18 in a House session that started at 9 a.m.
The Senate joint resolution authored by Republican Senate President Jude U. Hofschneider grants the governor’s request to hold a joint session on Oct. 31 at Kensington Hotel while the House joint resolution co-authored by House Floor Leader Ralph N. Yumul and fellow Independent, Speaker Edmund S. Villagomez calls for a joint session on Dec. 1 in the House chamber.
In the Senate roll call vote, Sen. Teresita Santos abstained while fellow Rota Independent Sen. Paul A. Manglona was absent.
Santos who attended the session via Zoom, officially withdrew her electronically transmitted signature from S.J.R. 22-13.
In the House, Republicans Angel A. Demapan, Roy Ada, Joseph Leepan T. Guerrero and Patrick San Nicolas as well as Independent Rep. Joseph Flores voted no while the speaker and the rest of the House leadership voted yes.
No joint session
Asked by Republican Sen. Victor B. Hocog what would happen if the Senate and the House did not adopt the same joint resolution, Senate counsel Antoinette Villagomez said the Legislature cannot have a joint session, but a written SOCA from the governor will comply with the constitutional requirement.
She cited the CNMI Constitution, which states, “The governor shall report at least annually to the legislature regarding the affairs of the Commonwealth and new measures that are necessary or desirable. The report shall include a comprehensive annual financial report prepared in accordance with generally accepted governmental accounting principles.”
Senate President Hofschneider, for his part, said Sen. Manglona was “trying to be “relevant” by criticizing Hofschneider’s decision to cancel the regular session and schedule a special session instead.
He urged Manglona to introduce a bill that would set a definite date for SOCA “so we won’t have this impasse” in the future.
The governor told Variety on Friday that he will deliver the SOCA on Oct. 31 at Kensington.
Public spat
Tension filled the Senate chamber during the public comment part of the session when military veteran Fabian Indalecio, a vocal critic of the governor, was escorted out of the Senate chamber.
In his remarks, Indalecio criticized the special session but was interrupted by Hofschneider who asked Indalecio to comment on matters that were on the session’s order of business. When Indalecio continued criticizing the special session, the Senate president ordered Senate Sgt.-at-Arms John Santos to escort Indalecio out of the chamber.
According to Indalecio, while he was being led out of the chamber, Sen. Hocog yelled profanity at him and charged at him.
Indalecio called the police and told the responding officers that he would formally file a complaint against Hocog.
