Senators assure Demapan’s confirmation as chief justice

Senators vowed yesterday to hasten the confirmation of newly-appointed Supreme Court Chief Justice Miguel S. Demapan and other public officials recently nominated by Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio, as they confirmed a new board director to the Commonwealth Utilities Corporation.

Demapan appeared to be a popular choice as a random survey of the members of the Senate Committee on Executive Appointments and Governmental Investigations showed he would get their votes.

“There is no reason for him not to be confirmed unless there is something I don’t see like the report from public auditor,” said Sen. David M. Cing, who chairs the committee responsible for recommending confirmation of the governor’s nominees.

Demapan was named by the governor on Tuesday after weeks of speculation on his choice for the crucial post which had been vacant since December, when former chief justice Marty W.K. Taylor retired from government service.

Although he is senior than Demapan, Associate Justice Alex C. Castro failed to win approval from the Senate which is a big factor in Tenorio’s appointment process.

A public hearing will be scheduled by EAGI on his nomination as well as five other new appointees to CUC, Board of Public Lands and Board of Professional Licensing as soon as these officials submit their credentials and financial statement to the committee.

During their session yesterday, senators finally confirmed Laura I. Manglona, who has served the CUC board representing Rota for years, after her nomination was stalled by nearly a month due to failure to meet certain requirements.

The approval came after she resigned from her job as public school teacher which would have been a violation of existing laws forbidding government employees to become board members.

Cing disclosed that another CUC board director is expected to step down because of this restriction.

Edwin Hofschneider, who has been in the policy-making body of the utility corporation for a year representing Tinian, will submit his resignation this week, but the report could not be independently confirmed.

If he resigned, he would be the second CUC board member to leave the government-owned utility firm in less than a week following the resignation of former chairman Juan S. Dela Cruz, who had said he wanted to devote more time to his job at Saipan Stevedore Company.

It was believed he failed to meet other requirements stipulated under the law creating CUC.

The governor, however, has nominated two other members of the board, Frank T. Flores and Edward C. Sablan, to replace Dela Cruz and former director Joaquin S. Torres, representing Saipan.

Sen. Edward U. Maratita prodded his colleagues to raise the issue of qualifications to Tenorio, particularly on appointments to CUC board which require that a member should be at least a graduate of Associate Degree and must not be currently employed in the government.

Cing admitted he had overlooked these restrictions, saying “I am totally at fault on this issue.”