‘Bermudes’ attendance at PELP seminar in Hawaii surprises CNMI participants’

Clement R. Bermudes already resigned as Department of Public Safety commissioner last Jan. 26, 2024, so his attendance at the Pacific Executive Leaders Program at the ‘Imiloa Astronomy Center of the University of Hawaii at Hilo from March 4 to 8, 2024, came as a surprise to the CNMI delegation.

Saipan Tribune learned that aside from Bermudes, four from the CNMI attended the weeklong seminar sponsored by the Center for Homeland Defense and Security, and Federal Emergency Management Agency. The CNMI government did not incur any expense for that seminar.

The four participants are CNMI Homeland Security and Emergency Management special assistant Franklin Babauta, CNMI HSEM grants manager Naomi Ada Tagabuel, Division of Customs and Biosecurity director Jose Mafnas, and Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. chief executive officer Esther L. Muña.

As of press time, Saipan Tribune was still waiting for comments from Bermudes.

In response to Saipan Tribune’s inquiry, Babauta and Muña confirmed yesterday that Bermudes did attend the seminar.

Babauta said they were surprised to see Bermudes at the seminar, but he did not ask Bermudes why he was there and that he believes the others from Saipan too did not ask him.

“My reason for not asking him is that I believe that the PELP coordinator knows already because they changed his (Bermudes) title on the table. They took out the commissioner title,” said Babauta, adding that the title was changed to “LTC Army, retired.”

Bermudes is a retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel.

Babauta said during the seminar, the program had only 19 participants/students, and the rest were program facilitators.

To participate in the seminar, one should first to be invited as a CNMI government employee, Babauta said.

The PELP is a graduate-level educational offering built upon the existing Executive Leaders Program, which is composed of local, state, tribal, territorial and federal officials, as well as private sector partners. The seminar included a variety of presentations on homeland security and emergency management issues confronting the Pacific region. The topics discussed included public policy, regional, national and international risk, cyber challenges, effective communication, collaboration, leadership, and capacity building, according to David Fukutomi, who is the associate director for the Center for Homeland Defense and Security executive education program in a letter to the participants.

Last Jan. 26, Bermudes resigned as DPS commissioner at the instruction of Gov. Arnold I. Palacios.

The governor noted that despite his explicit instructions regarding Police Sgt. Peter Camacho’s assignment at Marianas Regional Fusion Center at the CNMI Homeland Security, Camacho was purposely issued an AWOL notice and subjected to unwarranted punitive measures.