Camacho slams DPL’s Santos; calls for her ouster

Saipan Mayor Ramon Blas “RB” Camacho slammed Department of Public Land Secretary Teresita A. Santos last Thursday and blames her for what he described as the “substandard” condition of many roads on Saipan due to the “questionable quality” of the materials used for road repairs.

In a press briefing at the Office of the Mayor in Susupe, Camacho also urged Saipan residents to sign a petition calling for Santos’ ouster. He said the petition will continue for two more weeks, and numbers of signatures will be determined by the end of this week.

He also expressed belief that this spat between him and Santos may be politically motivated.

He said the poor state of residential roads in many villages have especially worsened due to the recent bad weather and passage of Typhoon Bolaven. “Thank God we didn’t get a direct hit from this typhoon,” he said.

Camacho said the allotted hundred cubic yards per quarry per year that DPL allows him is not enough to cover the work that needs to be done. “Broken roads are not a seasonal problem. …It’s an everyday problem. Once the heavy rain comes to us, expect those coral…to be washed out. And there’s a lot of people staying in those areas. We received a lot of complaints and requests for road repair, especially now…,” he added. “…As a mayor, I cannot wait on this kind of game because I’m too concerned to serve the people. …That’s my responsibility and…I don’t take that position lightly.”

In his official statement, which he also handed out in written form, Camacho said, “As the mayor of this municipality, I would like to extend my sincere apologies to our community concerning the substandard condition of our main road and secondary road within the villages. The root cause of this issue lies in the questionable quality of the materials used for road repairs, which is currently under scrutiny by the Department of Public Land.”

Camacho said this is not the time to play games. “The typhoon just passed us and [there have been] a lot of heavy rains and a lot of washouts on the gravel roads, so again my concern here is the safety of the people, but she’s treating us here on Saipan carelessly and recklessly,” he added.

The mayor claims that a recent incident that happened in DPL causes him to believe that the drama is politically motivated. He said Santos, appears to be approaching this matter as a form of negative politics.

“Additionally, she expressed disappointment in me as the mayor of this municipality due to my decision to release a former employee of [the] former mayor. …It is disheartening to witness politics still being used as a tool for division, long after the elections have concluded. Ms. Santos’ political schemes of these issues is adversely impacting my ability to provide essential services to the people of Saipan, especially during periods of heavy rainfall. …Secretary Santos’ actions seem to disregard the safety and well-being of our community. In this regard, I firmly believe that it is imperative for us to come together to address this issue. Secretary Santos’ apparent incompetence in fulfilling her duties and responsibilities as the secretary of Public Lands is obstructing my efforts to serve the people of Saipan effectively.

“It is evident that politics is being played at the expense of our citizens,” he stated

Camacho claims that Santos is seeking to remove him from office as well. “Notably, Ms. Santos has organized a group, both within her office and outside it, with the intention of initiating a recall campaign against me in January or February. The origins of this endeavor are undeniably rooted in political motivations, as she utilizes her office to further personal agendas rather than serving the public,” he said.

Saipan Tribune was unable to obtain Santos’ comments as of press time.