No secret

A few weeks ago, I called one of my credit card companies to ask for a $1,000 credit limit increase. But before the bank employee could process my request, he had to verify my identity. “What’s your mother’s maiden name?” he asked, in the name of security.

The first thought that entered my mind at this request was that, in Saipan at least, this would be no secret. In such a small community, where many locals are related to each other, practically everyone would know my mother’s maiden name.

In the states, the “P.” could stand for anything–or nothing at all, as in the “S.” in Harry S. Truman, which turns out to be meaningless–unless you want to designate it as scoundrel (for firing General Douglas MacArthur).

In the CNMI, however, one’s middle initial normally stands for the mother’s maiden name, which practically everyone knows, or could very easily find out, if the person is local.

For long-time mainland Americans residents, however, it may be a different story. Who knows, for example, what the “A” stands for in Richard A. Pierce? Allen? It may not even be his mother’s maiden name.

William H. Stewart. Bruce Lloyd. Ed Stephens. Anthony Pellegrino. Anybody knows the secret codes of their US credit cards?

But with the local indigenous folks, we know–particularly if the person is running for public office, because he advertises it. He advertises his family so much that we even learn the maiden name of his long deceased great grandmother and great, great grandmother.

Indeed, in many cases, we just know. No political advertising is necessary. In such care-free island circumstances, privacy is not often cautiously guarded.

The M. in Dino M. Jones stands for Mendoza, Muna, or Mendiola. I think it’s Mendiola, but I could make a quick phone call to confirm. The P. in Pete P. Pangelinan and Pedro P. Tenorio stands for Pangelinan. The C. in Froilan C. Tenorio stands for Cruz.

We could go through the entire legislature and figure out the maiden names of each and every legislator’s mother. It would not be too difficult to ascertain. Then we could call up their U.S. credit cards and close their accounts–assuming we knew their card numbers (and birthdates, which they also quite generously advertise during election years).

As for me, thinking of the CNMI angle, I made up my mother’s maiden name and created my own secret security code. How is Wells Fargo (ticker: WFC) or Fleet Boston Financial (FBF) ever going to know that I lied?

“For security purposes, may I have your mother’s maiden name please?”

“Yes, it’s Taggart.”

“Thank you, Mr. Reyes.”