CCC awaits new board member to continue with revocation proceedings

The Commonwealth Casino Commission is waiting for the Senate to confirm the nomination of Thomas A. Manglona to continue with revocation proceedings against the Imperial Pacific International (CNMI) LLC.

During CCC’s regular board meeting last week, CCC board chair Edward DeLeon Guerrero shared that once the Senate confirms the nomination of Manglona to the commission, they will have quorum to proceed with the process of revoking IPI’s exclusive casino license.

“I’m not very hopeful in terms of recovering [IPI’s debt]. Nevertheless, we’re still in the proceedings to revoke. We don’t need to go back and re-hear it. It’s already done. It is just a matter of…deliberating. Once the new commissioner is confirmed, the three of you can proceed and decide whether or not to revoke,” he said.

However, before deliberating, CCC must first ask the U.S. District Court for the NMI to lift the stay on revocations proceedings, a move which also requires quorum.

The stay was automatically implemented when IPI filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy earlier this year.

However, because IPI has decided it will proceed with selling the hotel casino, the CCC has decided to again pursue revocation of the exclusive casino license.

DeLeon Guerrero notes that although the commission has five seats, three commissioners would be enough to constitute a quorum for the revocation hearing.

Currently, because DeLeon Guerrero has recused himself from the revocation hearing, the CCC board does not have quorum to proceed with revocation.

A former port manager on Rota, Manglona will fill the seat vacated by Martin Mendiola, whose term ended on April 30, 2024.

Edward C. Deleon Guerrero