Kilili backs Manglona nomination before US Senate committee

Delegate Gregorio Kilili C. Sablan (D-MP) has backed U.S. District Court for the NMI Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona’s nomination when the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee deliberated last week on her nomination to serve a second 10-year-term for the District Court for the NMI.

Sablan appeared with Manglona during the committee’s confirmation hearing in Washington, D.C., during which he gave his message in support of Manglona and asked the committee to confirm her nomination.

“As the sole elected representative of the Marianas, I support the nomination and confirmation of Judge Manglona,” he said.

Sablan shared that Manglona’s seat has been occupied by men who were not even from the Marianas for many years. Since her first confirmation, Manglona became the first Chamorro and first female chief judge of the U.S. District Court for the NMI, bringing a sense of pride to the Marianas.

“As a trailblazing first woman and first person of Chamorro decent to sit on the federal bench in the Marianas, Judge Manglona has demonstrated that neither attribute is an impediment to excellence nor to the faithful execution of her duties to maintain the integrity of the law. I speak for many others in our community when I say it is a sense of pride when we see one of us sitting as the District Court judge for the NMI,” he said.

For the past 10 years, Manglona has proven to be an impartial and thoughtful judge and has become a respected member of the federal judiciary, Sablan said.

“During her tenure, she has participated in hundreds of cases and also exhibited a deep respect for the United States Constitution and the rule of law,” he said.

Sablan also noted that Manglona’s commitment to the CNMI community has been commendable, and it was seen following the back-to-back super typhoons the islands have faced as well as a global pandemic.

“While maintaining court operations under these difficult circumstances, she also managed to coordinate the transition to a new federal courthouse. She also founded the bandwidth to establish the district’s first evidence-based drug court program,” he said.

In closing, Sablan encouraged the committee and its members to recommend to the entire U.S Senate that Manglona be confirmed for another term.

“Members of the committee, I respectfully ask you to agree that Ramona Manglona continue to serve as the chief judge and that you submit your full recommendation to the Senate for confirmation,” Sablan said.

Manglona was first nominated by then-U.S. President Barack Obama back in 2009—at Sablan’s recommendation—and was renominated last September by current President Joe Biden.

Unlike most federal district court judges, who have lifetime appointments, the Marianas District Court judge, as well as those in Guam and the Virgin Islands, receive 10-year terms.