DeLeon Guerrero: Flores spinning lies; teaching how to be a social media bully

The word war between Senate President Edith E. DeLeon Guerrero (D-Saipan) and Rep. Marissa Renee Flores (Ind-Saipan) has come to a boiling point, with DeLeon Guerrero giving a cautionary word to a younger generation that is watching Flores spin her lies as an elected official.

“It’s not a good role model at all—teaching our young generation to lie and be a social media bully,” said DeLeon Guerrero when asked for comments about Flores’ statements during the House of Representatives session on Friday.

In that session, Flores questioned why 45 bills have been sitting idle in the Senate for almost a year now. “I’m not sure why that is, whether it’s because one person feels that she should hold it,” Flores had said.

Flores also shared her response to DeLeon Guerrero’s previous comments about the alleged hatred and vindictiveness behind her (Flores’) bills.

When asked about Flores’ statements, the Senate president said Flores blaming her again about her tax bills is “sadly filled with lies.”

DeLeon Guerrero said Flores then proceeds to comment on Senate Fiscal Affairs Committee chair Sen. Donald M. Manglona (Ind-Rota) for scheduling a public hearing on tax bills.

“Well, my dear Rep. Marissa, I am not holding any of your bills. It has been sitting in the Senate Fiscal Affairs Committee,” she said.

The Senate president noted that her memorandum to the Senate Fiscal Affairs Committee instructed it to conduct public hearings, “which is the right thing to do on all the tax bills.”

DeLeon Guerrero said she has all the memos she issued when withdrawing bills from committees and that, in fact, some bills were withdrawn at the request of committee chairs themselves.

“One thing is certain: They are so fixated on former governor Ralph DLG Torres, forgetting that the bill they are pushing for passage will affect every living citizen in the CNMI,” she said.

DeLeon Guerrero also accused some lawmakers of launching political attacks and lies, forgetting why they are there, which is to defend and protect the U.S. Constitution and CNMI laws.

She said it is “really sad and alarming” that elected officials will initiate dangerous legislation that will violate a person’s constitutional rights. “Scary and dangerous to society. There is no justice in such proposed legislation,” the Senate president said.

DeLeon Guerrero said Flores and other lawmakers purport to speak and spread love, but that’s not how anyone would describe their “relentless attacks” against her.

Flores had stated during the House session that her House Bill 23-22 that was supported by House members is under attack by the Office of the Public Defender and other private citizens.

House Bill 23-22 seeks to grant the attorney general powers to issue subpoena. The House passed the bill and it is now before a Senate committee.

Flores said her bill is gaining momentum and support by the attorney general and other members and private citizens of the CNMI community.

“I do believe that everyone has an opinion and I can respect that. …What I don’t understand, however, is how in the world the Senate has 40 bills since last year—45 to be exact since last year—sitting in the Senate for a year, almost a year already,” she said.

Luckily, Flores said, their colleague from the Senate Fiscal Affairs Committee has scheduled a meeting to attend to five bills that are aimed to increase revenue funds.

She said the House is doing its job; what’s holding it up is the Senate. “I would hope that the Senate will somehow figure out a way to place these bills on calendar to be heard on the floor,” Flores said.

She took particular exception to DeLeon Guerrero’s comments on her bill, H.B. 23-22—that lawmakers should be concerned when individual constitutional rights are at a great risk of being violated through “legislation that is driven without sound mind but with such hatred and vindictiveness…”

Her response to that, Flores said, is to say that “when faced with hatred and vindictiveness, responding with love can be a transformative force.”

“It promotes understanding, empathy and compassion. So by choosing to respond with love, over hatred, we can break the cycle of negativity and foster a more harmonious and inclusive society. Because now in a world full of hatred and vindictiveness, it is crucial to spread the message of love,” she said.