Dekada to hold meetings on citizenship petition

Newly organized Dekada Movement aims to hold meetings with different groups of nonresident workers to fully explain itself and its petition to have eligible nonresidents in the CNMI be granted U.S. citizenship.

“We want to meet with concerned employees as a group to ensure clarity. We want to fully explain to them our intention because I know that they have many questions,” said Dekada Movement leader Boni Sagana.

Sagana, whose previous landmark case resulted in a policy change allowing nonresident workers multiple jobs in the CNMI, said that the coverage now of the petition includes those who have stayed in the Commonwealth for five years and up.

Initially, the group only enlisted those who have stayed in the CNMI for a decade and up. “Dekada” is decade in Tagalog.

“We have expanded the coverage to five years because that’s the case in the United States,” he said.

He noted that a “federal takeover bill” even provided a one-time grandfather provision for certain long-term CNMI employees, including those legally present for five years or employed for four years preceding the petition.

“We’ve consulted with lawyers as to the soundness of our petition before we began [this movement],” said Sagana.

He said that Dekada Movement will be represented by lawyer Steven Woodruff.

He said the group, which was recently registered as a non-profit organization, now holds office at the ground floor of the Nauru Building in Susupe.

He said the hiring of a lawyer and maintaining an office had prompted the group to charge a $100 fee from enlisted people.

He said that, of the amount, $90, which can be paid in three months, would be reserved for attorney’s fees, while the $10 would be used for office operations.

“This is a group effort. We can’t accomplish anything if we don’t contribute,” said Sagana.

He said that individuals who want to join the group can contact them at Dekada hotline numbers 788-3481 and 483-8606.

“We also invite them to come directly to the office,” he said.

So far, Sagana said that over 7,000 nonresident workers have signed the petition. About 5,000 of them are Filipinos, 200 are Thais, and the rest are Chinese, Korean, Nepalese, and Bangladeshi.

He said 300 signatures were gathered from Rota and about 100 from Tinian.