Parole board recommends pardon for Taitingfong

The CNMI Board of Parole unanimously voted in favor of recommending clemency for Jodan Santos Taitingfong, a man serving a 10-year sentence for beating and robbing a woman back in 2016. 

Last Thursday, all seven Board of Parole members unanimously voted in favor of recommending clemency for Taitingfong, a man serving a 10-year sentence for beating and robbing a woman back in 2016.

The recommendation will be brought before Gov. Arnold I. Palacios who will ultimately decide to pardon Taitingfong from serving the rest of his 10-year sentence. 

According to board member Christopher Leon Guerrero, he believes in allowing the governor to practice his authority to grant pardons for inmates. 

“The governor is the only one who has the authority to grant pardon for prisoners so we want to limit our response to that in regards to this matter,” he said. 

In a comment from board member Ignacio Mendiola, he explained that whatever the board decides in terms of granting clemency, the CNMI governor may issue an independent decision on the matter. 

“Under the constitutional authority of the CNMI governor regarding applicants seeking clemency in the form of a pardon, the governor actually concurs with the CNMI Board of Parole and their position in regards to granting clemency for applicants. However, the governor has unilateral authority. This means the sitting governor can make their independent decision despite the board’s recommendation. It’s a checks and balances system,” he said. 

The matter has since been forwarded to Gov. Palacios who will make the final decision on whether or not to grant Taitingfong’s request for a pardon or not. 

According to Saipan Tribune archives, back in 2016, police arrested Taitingfong for beating a Chinese masseuse during a robbery inside her room at Micro Beach Hotel in western Garapan.

Police detective Jeffrey I. Norita served Taitingfong the arrest warrant charging him with robbery, assault and battery, and disturbing the peace.

Norita stated in his report that it was a “confidential source” who revealed to a police officer that the person on the surveillance camera’s footage in the Micro Beach robbery was Taitingfong.

Norita said the “confidential source” is a close family member of Taitingfong.

Norita said the victim also identified Taitingfong in the photo line-up as the person who attacked her in her bedroom and ran away with her purse.

Norita said that on July 7, 2016 at 2:17am, two police officers responded to the robbery incident that occurred at one of the rooms on the third floor of Micro Beach Hotel in western Garapan.

The officers gathered that the suspect, who was later identified as Taitingfong, assaulted the masseuse in her room.

The officer noticed the victim’s mouth was bleeding and her left eye and left cheek were swollen. The officer also observed drips of blood on the floor of the bedroom, restroom, in the sink, and on the bed.

Medics later transported the 41-year-old masseuse to the Commonwealth Health Center for treatment.

Norita said during an interview with a police officer, the masseuse, through an interpreter, disclosed that she met Taitingfong, who asked her for a massage.

The masseuse escorted Taitingfong to her room. Upon entering the room, the defendant allegedly struck her, causing her to faint.

When the victim regained consciousness later, her mouth was bleeding and her face was swollen. She noticed that her purse was missing and the doors of her cabinet were opened and her belongings were all scattered.