MPLA abolition measure to be introduced Friday

The bill abolishing the Marianas Public Lands Authority will be introduced in the next House session tentatively scheduled for tomorrow, Friday.

House Speaker Oscar M. Babauta disclosed yesterday that the Executive Branch has finished drafting the proposed legislation that would abolish the MPLA as an autonomous agency and transform the agency into a department under the central government.

The House leadership was expected to discuss the measure at a meeting yesterday afternoon. Babauta said he would call House members for a session Friday.

“This bill will be a fast-tracked legislation,” Babauta said in an interview yesterday. “The Senate president [Joseph M. Mendiola] and I have agreed that this legislation will be in the priority agenda of both houses of the Legislature.”

Nevertheless, he said the public would be given the opportunity to voice their opinions on the plan. The House and Senate standing committees in charge of public lands matters will conduct a joint public hearing on the proposed legislation, Babauta said.

The Fitial administration’s Transition Committee has recommended the abolition of MPLA over grave allegations of abuse of public funds.

The Office of the Public Auditor is now conducting four audits of MPLA, specifically in relation to land compensation, personnel, travel and board activities, and procurement and professional services.

The administration initially planned to do this by issuing an executive order. But it subsequently decided to scrap the agency through legislation.

“[The legislation’s] main objective is to abolish the MPLA and to bring the administration of public lands back to control of the Legislature and the Executive Branch whose members are elected by the people of the Commonwealth and could be held politically responsible for their administration of public lands,” said attorney Howard Willens, the governor’s legal counsel.

Willens, who served as counsel for the Mariana Political Status Commission in the Covenant negotiation with the United States, acknowledged that the abolition of MPLA may have adverse consequences. But he maintained that the action was badly needed.

“The governor and the Legislature are convinced that, after everyone has had a chance to evaluate the proposed legislation, people would understand that the situation has disintegrated to such an extent that the authority has lost all respect within the Executive Branch, the Legislature, and the people,” Willens said.