Pangelinan decamps from GOP

Former Babauta Cabinet member Thomas Pangelinan has joined the camp of gubernatorial hopefuls Reps. Heinz Hofschneider and David Apatang.

Pangelinan, who resigned as secretary of the Department of Lands and Natural Resources early last year over farm lots closure woes in Kagman, was also the 2001 political campaign manager of the Babauta-Benavente team.

“Tom was the chairman of the Committee to elect [Babauta-Benatente]. Now, it tells you a lot,” said Heinz-David committee chair and spokesman Juan “Morgen” Tenorio yesterday.

Tenorio also said that committee members include Herbert Del Rosario, brother of Covenant Party’s John Del Rosario, as well as former Oleai Elementary School principal Jess Wabol.

Other immediate supporters of the Heinz-David team are businessmen Juan S. Tenorio, Roman Palacios, Roman Tudela, Jose I. Guerrero, and congressman Jesus Attao.

They formally introduced their independent group Tuesday, a day after the ruling NMI Republican Party decided to endorse the re-election bid of Gov. Juan N. Babauta and Lt. Gov. Diego T. Benavente.

‘We’re still Republicans’

Morgen Tenorio insisted yesterday that they remain Republicans.

“Running independent does not mean it’s a party in itself. We are Republicans. We’re disenfranchised Republicans,” said Tenorio. “Nobody in there [NMI Republican Party] can tell anyone I’m not Republican. In fact, some of them are like Johnny-come-lately Republicans.”

He pointed out that NMI Republican Party chair John Reyes himself ran and became a congressman under the Democratic Party.

Tenorio said he was a member of the party when it was initially called the Progressive Party, then Territorial Party, and lastly, Republican Party.

As independents, he said Heinz and David team would have the slogan “Moving Forward.”

Tenorio also took exception to the 2005 Gubernatorial Candidate Committee report that was adopted by the so-called GOP central committee.

“To begin with, GOP never had a central committee. It’s the Democrat that has a central committee,” he said.

He said that the GOP party officials’ decision last Monday to deny the Heinz-David team’s call for a primary was a big departure from party tradition.

“Traditionally, it’s the general membership that make major decisions such as a primary. The members decide, not a few people,” he said.

The 11-member central committee that endorsed the re-election bid of Babauta and Benavente, he said, was “a bunch of baloney.”

“You can quote me there,” he said.

The Saipan Tribune tried to obtain comments from GOP chair John Reyes several times yesterday but was he was not available.

A member of the GOP executive committee said yesterday that the party still hopes to dissuade Hofschneider from running for the gubernatorial post.

“We recognize that it’s still the best to have him at GOP. He can run next time, and we’ll be behind him. There’s always the proper time for him,” said the member who asked not to be named.

Tenorio, meantime, said that their group is getting down to serious business, mapping out strategies on how to catapult Heinz-David to the gubernatorial post. He said the group has not decided whether it would fill all elective slots.

“We’re still assessing our options,” he said.