Torres pleads with BOE members to drop injunction

A week before CNMI government retirees get their latest pension, Gov. Ralph DLG Torres yet again pleaded with the Board of Education yesterday to drop the injunction it initiated, saying that doing so will enable the government to pay those pensions in full and not at just 75% of the amount, as it earlier announced.

“I am here again pleading with the three board members: If you drop the injunction, I will be able to pay our retirees their 25% for the remaining of the year as well as next year,” the governor said in a video clip posted on the Office of the Governor’s Facebook page on Tuesday. In it, Torres appealed to board members Philip Long, Marylou Ada, and Andrew Orsini to drop the injunction, saying this will allow the government to pay the retirees in full.

According to Torres, the three board members are requiring him to pay the Public School System roughly $10.7 million—a quarter of the $43 million that the government has to pay the Settlement Fund under a court order.

Torres said he basically begged the three not to file the injunction while the Commonwealth is experiencing COVID-19, which has shut down tourism, the CNMI’s sole industry.

“We’ve always worked well with [BOE] chairperson Janice Tenorio, vice chair Sgt. Major Herman Atalig, and [Education Commissioner] Dr. Alfred Ada,” he said. “We continued to have a strong communication and we continued to give our appropriated amount to PSS. We have never been short and we have always made sure to take care of what the Legislature has appropriated for PSS.”

According to Torres, the administration met with the BOE, House Speaker Blas Jonathan Attao (R-Saipan), Senate President Victor Hocog (R-Saipan), Attorney General Edward Manibusan, and all their respective attorneys, and agreed that whatever the actual collection would be, that the PSS’ 25% will be provided.

Long, Ada, and Orsini approved filing the injunction a week after, said Torres, despite “numerous [pleas] to please not file the injunction because it would definitely jeopardize our retirees’ 25%.”

“The government pays retirees roughly $14 million every year and they want to tack 25% on top of that. Again roughly $3 million, that equates to $14 million,” Torres said, leaving him with two options: give PSS $14 million based on what the three board members want, or give the retirees $14 million.

The governor said he had no other choice as of Tuesday night.