FLASHBACK April 20, 2003-2005

CDC: NMI, Guam SARS-free[/B]

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed that the CNMI and Guam remain free from the mysterious disease called Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome. In an e-mail response to the Saipan Tribune, CDC media relations officer Jennifer Morcone said that the two Pacific islands have had no reported case of SARS. “At this time, no cases have been reported in the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands and Guam,” said Morcone. The CDC has listed five suspected cases in nearby Hawaii. The CDC list only covers the different states, not insular areas.

The House Committee on Health and Welfare has summoned close to 30 CNMI agencies and individuals to testify on the legislative proposal that seeks to reduce by 50 percent the sin tax increases implemented under Public Law 13-38. In an April 15 notice, Rep. Gloria DLC. Cabrera-then the acting committee chairperson-requested the various entities to be present on the May 7 public hearing to be conducted at the House Chamber starting 9am. Witnesses requested to be present at the hearing included Cabinet members of the Babauta administration, including Public Health Secretary Dr. James U. Hofschneider, Attorney General Ramona V. Manglona, Finance Secretary Frankie Villanueva, Commerce Secretary Fermin M. Atalig, Community and Cultural Affairs Secretary Juan L. Babauta.

NMI-China MOU hangs fire[/B]

The scheduled signing of a memorandum of understanding between the CNMI and China’s National Tourism Administration was held off Friday in Beijing amid a brewing rift between the U.S. and China over the U.S. government’s policy requiring foreigners to be photographed and fingerprinted upon entry to the U.S. Gov. Juan N. Babauta, who just arrived from a two-day trip to Beijing, said yesterday the MOU signing is likely to take place in one to two months. “I had an excellent meeting with the chairman [of China’s National Tourism Administration]. He is very sympathetic with the CNMI. It’s quite obvious that he wants to help the CNMI get the approved destination status, but because of the dispute between the U.S. government and China over the fingerprinting.there seems to be a cooling of the relationship between the two countries,” he said.

Mobil Oil Marianas has raised its gas prices by 5 cents a gallon-the fifth increase this year-bringing the total gallon price adjustment to 22 cents in less than four months. Gallon prices now come close to $3 a gallon, with Mobil’s full-service rate for super gasoline pegged at $2.629 per gallon. The oil company first increased pump prices by four cents a gallon in January, before increasing them again by 3 cents a gallon, matching Shell gas stations’ pump price adjustment of 7 cents per gallon. Mobil later declared three 5-cent-increases beginning March 11. The most recent 5-cent-hike became effective after midnight yesterday.

Double whammy for fire victims[/B]

Some 21 persons displaced by the fire that gutted their Chalan Piao barracks last Thursday got a double dose of trouble after being thrown out of a temporary shelter and failing to secure assistance from Karidat yesterday. “Nobody is willing to help us,” one of the victims said, through a translator. Yesterday, they said most of them were uncertain if anyone would offer them temporary shelter. The victims, who are mostly Chinese, said they moved out from the American Red Cross’ temporary shelter yesterday after being allegedly told to do so. Red Cross allegedly referred the group to Karidat, another nongovernment civic group. When they trooped to Karidat’s office yesterday, Karidat officials allegedly told them, “Pick up the police report so you can be assisted,” according to one of the fire victims.

The U.S. District Court yesterday declared Sako Corp. liable in the amount of over $1 million, in connection with a lawsuit brought to court by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on behalf of some 65 workers. Chief judge Alex R. Munson entered a default judgment against Sako Corp., which ceased business operations on Saipan earlier this year. The EEOC filed the case against Sako last Sept. 16, after some 65 non-Chinese workers complained that their employment contracts were not renewed on the basis of their national origin. “They were replaced by Chinese workers, who, in some cases, had to be trained by some of the replaced parties to take over their jobs,” the EEOC said.