MPLA chair finally speaks out

Embattled Marianas Public Lands Authority chair Ana Demapan-Castro broke her silence yesterday and defended the beleaguered agency on allegations of nepotism and misuse of public funds through allegedly unnecessary travel and per diem expenditures.

“We are not abusing money,” Demapan-Castro said. “In this office, everything is open.”

Demapan-Castro lashed back at MPLA insiders leaking information about some of the agency’s activities to the media, saying that those employees just want to tarnish the reputation of the MPLA board.

In a separate interview aired over KMCV News yesterday, Demapan-Castro also chided the media for allegedly biased news reports against her administration of the agency.

MPLA insiders earlier lamented the hiring practices at the agency, disclosing that Demapan-Castro’s brother, David Demapan, is the MPLA’s chief financial officer, while her daughter Sharee Maratita is the chief of the Real Estate and Development Division.

MPLA insiders further disclosed that Demapan-Castro’s son-in-law Anthony Benavente is an inspector at the Homestead Division; stepson Fred Castro works for the Planning Division; and son-in-law John Hofschneider used to work for the Real Estate and Development Division, but has reportedly moved to Seattle, Washington—where the chair and other MPLA officials recently attended a conference.

“I didn’t hire my brother, I didn’t hire my daughter, I didn’t hire my son-in-law,” Demapan-Castro said. “They qualify for the jobs. We have to make some people deliver the expectations of the agency.”

The MPLA board chair said the MPLA has a committee tasked with the hiring of personnel, which is headed by board member Nicolas Nekai. Nekai has a pending agricultural homestead waiver application pending consideration by the MPLA board.

Besides alleged nepotism, the transition committee for the MPLA said in its report to Gov. Benigno Fitial that certain board members hired employees without proper documentation and with disregard to Equal Employment Opportunity mandates.

Demapan-Castro also denied that the agency has been squandering money on off-island travels, pointing out that the agency’s funds are being audited yearly.

She also said she only earned less than $50 in per diem fees for each board meeting on Tinian and Rota last week. She said the per diem rate for official trips to those islands is only $125 for every 24 hours, while the per diem rate for a Guam trip is $200. Demapan-Castro admitted that she went to Guam on official business after the board meeting on Rota Friday.

MPLA insiders pointed out, though, that the board members do not just get per diem fees for the inter-island trips, but also compensation of some $300 per day.

The board meeting went on its fourth day yesterday. The board initially convened at the Tinian Dynasty Hotel & Casino Thursday and continued on Rota last Friday. The meeting continued at the MPLA’s conference room on Saipan on Monday and Tuesday.

MPLA public information officer Ed Arriola, Jr. said holding the meeting on different islands was just fair to allow the people of Tinian and Rota to be heard for public comments.

“The people of Rota and Tinian filled up the board meeting for public comments. They really are participating,” Arriola said.