A brother’s defense

First, Mr. Perez, I find it very hard to believe that your letter also came from our friend Cinta Kaipat. I cannot believe that anyone can stoop as low as you and attack other people’s character. My friend, it takes character to judge character! From what I have read of all your previous letters, I find that you have no substance. Cinta has been a very close and good friend of ours, that’s why I just can’t believe she of all people would sign her name on your letter. But if it is true, then I have to reconsider our friendship. To have that letter come from someone who is running for public office is not good judgment, in my opinion. To attack our character in such a public forum is totally uncalled for. Let me ask you, who do you think you are, attacking our character? You do not even know us and if you did, then you would think twice before writing about our character, most of all my brother’s character. What have you done but spit out venom!? You have made this very personal!

Fact, Jesse has not been involved with Azmar since I took over. By that, I mean there is absolutely no dialog between Azmar and MPLA toward any kind of agreement. So, his employment with MPLA has nothing to do with Azmar. His present position at MPLA is under the Homestead Program and has nothing to do with the Mining Task Force, of which you spoke of. There is no conflict of interest. The MPLA board and the commissioner have nothing to worry about. In fact, they have all to gain from such a professional individual! I am very proud, to have a brother with such professionalism! And there are many here in the CNMI who can attest to these facts. (On a personal note, Ken Moore and I have been close personal friends for many years, well before any development of Azmar.)

Mr. Perez, it is quite obvious that your bias is with CAER and that you are running with the information being fed to you by your insider from CAER, whom we will leave unnamed, but he is known to me.

Let’s focus on the PaganWatch group. What the heck have you all been doing besides bashing every company attempting to invest much needed monies in the CNMI? Where are the companies that you claim are out there waiting for the opportunity of mining pozzollan from Pagan? Whose interest are you all really looking after, because it certainly is not the CNMI people? Why are you so angry and bitter? What is it that you really want? From what I see, PaganWatch is a self-interest group who does not represent the interest of the entire CNMI descent population. Whose interests is the group really representing? MPLA just launched the Northern Marianas Decent Registry at the Coral Ocean Point. This program is for the benefit of the Northern Marianas descent. Did the main proponents of PaganWatch attend this historical occasion?

Finally, to the MPLA board, you are there because the governor has the confidence in your judgment and ability to act on behalf of the CNMI descent. It goes without saying that you all have been doing a job defending the interest of the CNMI descent. My brother Jesse is very professional and educated, with a business degree from Arizona State University. He is capable of handling any task presented to him, as was shown in his previous employment with the Department of Commerce.

I am very proud of my brother and even though I am older, I look up to him.

Glen D. Palacios
Saipan