THE Senate Committee on Executive Appointments and Government Investigations conducted a public hearing on Monday morning for Gov. Ralph DLG Torres’ nomination of Police Lt. Jesus Santos Cepeda to the Commonwealth Election Commission.
Committee chair Sen. Francisco Q. Cruz, vice chair Sen. Victor B. Hocog, Senate Vice President Justo S. Quitugua, and Senate Floor Leader Vinnie F. Sablan were present, while Sen. Karl King-Nabors was excused.
Office of the Governor public information specialist Thomas John DLC Manglona introduced the governor’s appointee.
“On behalf of Governor Ralph DLG Torres, I thank you for the opportunity to come and testify before you here today. I am here to introduce the governor’s appointee for the Commonwealth Election Commission, Mr. Jesus S. Cepeda,” Manglona said.
“Mr. Cepeda is a highly experienced individual who has dedicated his life to public service and public safety. In 1997, he began his career as a police officer for the Department of Public Safety and has since moved up the ranks, serving as a police sergeant from 2017 to 2020, and currently serves as a police lieutenant to this present day,” said Manglona.
“Serving in his capacity as a police officer, he is no stranger to enforcing the law and tackling any challenges he is faced with, while also serving as a respected leader to his peers. Governor Torres places his full trust and confidence in Mr. Cepeda as a member of the Commonwealth Election Commission. I know he stands ready to answer your questions and present his plans for the future.
“His professional experience as a Department of Public Safety police officer, his credentials, and his commitment to serving the Commonwealth in this capacity make him a viable candidate and we ask for your expeditious approval,” Manglona added.
Cepeda then took an official oath before addressing the committee.
In his remarks, he said, “I have been a police officer for 26 years. This new assignment that I am about to gain — if I do get selected — is pretty much new to me. I have very little experience. It’s very different from the 26 years that I have been working as a police officer, but I will contribute my time, I will uphold and maintain the integrity of the election commission.”
Testifying on behalf of the election commission was executive director Kayla S. Igitol who said that she and the board support the nominee.
“Currently, the CEC board has five members: two members from the first senatorial district, one member from the second senatorial district, two members from the third senatorial district. The commission shall consist of nine members, but as I mentioned earlier, the commission only has five members. We have one vacancy for the second senatorial district and three vacancies for the third senatorial district. With the 2022 general election fast approaching, we would like for CEC to get its full capacity of nine members. We thank this committee for acting on Mr. Cepeda’s nomination,” she said.
Igitol said the board currently has a quorum with its five members.
Providing the sole public comment was Robin N. Sablan, also from the election commission, who said, “I’m here on behalf of myself and CEC in support of the appointee from the governor. It is really critical that we have the full members of the commission in order for us to run the election, especially this year. Beginning September, that’s when all of the registration is closed and petitions start coming in. We really need those to be certified in order for us to proceed forward. So, I’m here in support of this nomination, and I thank you for whatever decision that you guys will make today.”
There were no written testimonies or letters in support of or in opposition to the nominee.
Senate Floor Leader Vinnie F. Sablan said he had no questions for Cepeda, but he encouraged the nominee to use all available resources to bring him up to speed in his potential new role.
This includes reviewing the election law, rules, regulations, as well as seeking guidance from the other election commissioners, executive director Igitol, the election commission staff, and the revamped election commission website.
“I have no questions since it’s going to be a new task for you…. I know that this committee will try its best to fill the positions of the board and I know that the director and their team are ready and anticipating a very busy election coming up this November,” Sablan said.
Senate Vice President Justo Quitugua asked Cepeda what his response was upon receiving the governor’s nomination letter.
“I read it and I was kind of surprised. I know that I’m getting myself into a challenge. So, again, this is all pretty new to me. I will challenge myself to contribute my knowledge and time to this commission,” said Cepeda.
Quitugua then asked whether Cepeda would have the time to fulfill his duties as an election commissioner, given the complexity of the new role, as well as his duties as a police lieutenant.
Cepeda said, “Again, I’m going to need the guidance of Ms. Igitol and the staff to guide me to the right direction, to learn as much as I can and as fast as possible because of one thing, election is coming up pretty soon this year, and I need to gain [that] knowledge…. I cannot confirm how much…time [I will need to bring myself up to speed], but if it requires me to spend time on this to gain this knowledge, then I think that I should do this for the best interest of the commission and the general public.”
Quitugua then said, “Since you’re new, I’m happy that you’re being honest to us that this is something new, that you might probably need more time to spend to familiarize yourself with your new role as an election commissioner…. I will take it from there that you are willing to put extra time outside of being in the meeting with the other commissioners, time so that you can sit down with the executive director and the employees there [and] orientate yourself with this new role. Because the [election commission board] is complicated. The laws are complicated. That’s why every year, things will have to be done in accordance to the law, because it’s complicated.”
Quitugua added, “We mention this every time that [there is] an appointee [to] the board of the election commission, that they really have to get some insights of the election law, because there [are] so many things there that you need to know other than what you’re going to know when you’re in the commission meeting. To function effectively in the commission, you have to know your role.”
Quitugua recommended that Cepeda get a jump-start on this prior to the board meeting, as opposed to after the call for the meeting.
“I’m glad that you realize that your job as a police officer is not the same role as the board of election commissioner. So, with that, I really thank you for accepting this position or this nomination [knowingly] and willingly to commit yourself to know more about your role in this new commission and also the very important thing that you said earlier, to preserve the integrity of our election,” Quitugua said.
Committee vice chair Hocog, for his part, expressed his confidence in Cepeda serving in this new capacity, given his 26-year experience with DPS and his ability “to do the right thing the right way.”
Hocog then switched gears and urged Cepeda, Igitol, and the CEC board to look into the matter of absentee voters “outvoting” resident voters.
He said he is aware of past instances in which individuals registered as absentee voters voted in an election, despite having never been in the CNMI nor expressing any intention of residing in the Commonwealth.
Hocog said it is unfair for such voters to decide the fate of a senatorial district, when they do not reside in the district, let alone the Commonwealth.
“I want the commission to seriously look into it, the continuous residency requirement and domiciliary, whether those people will be given continuous rights to vote when they have abandoned their domiciliary and residency in the CNMI,” he said.
“It’s very unfair…. The people that are staying and experiencing the difficulties in their respective senatorial [district]…are being [outvoted] by people residing outside the Commonwealth that have never expressed any interest of their return. These absentee voters have been receiving all kinds of federal assistance in whatever state that they are [in]. They have been receiving benefits from that particular state. For anyone to overturn an election result… in my opinion, is very unfair.”
Hocog said some “people have been allowed to vote when they’ve never been in the CNMI. Never. Not even once. But they were allowed to vote. This is a very serious situation that our people are experiencing here…. For those people that have been given the right to continue to vote outside the CNMI, they are not suffering like the people that are staying here and voting for change.”
Committee chair Sen. Frank Cruz expressed disappointment that none of the current election board members were present for the public hearing.
“I don’t know whether they have acknowledged that there is a hearing happening today or that they acknowledge the appointment of Mr. Cepeda so that they can perhaps give an input or perhaps give guidance to the new appointee,” he said.
“I’m very concerned because this is a very sensitive matter that requires some, if not all, of the members to at least participate, and to hear their concerns.”
The current commissioners are chair Jesus I. Sablan, vice chair Doris Ann Aldan-Atalig both representing Saipan and the Northern Islands, Lelanie I. Manglona and Esther Yatar, both of Rota, and John Diego Attao of Tinian and Aguiguan.
Police Lt. Jesus Santos Cepeda appears before the Senate Committee on Executive Appointments and Government Investigations in the Senate chamber on Monday morning.
