Flashback – May 2, 2000-2002

[B][U]May 2, 2000[/U][/B] [B]Gov’t okays plan to settle CUC bills[/B]

The government has pledged to make a monthly payment of at least $1.3 million to the Commonwealth Utilities Corporation to pare down over $11 million it has owed in overdue utility bills for the past few months. Finance officials have reached the payment plan with CUC after the government-owned utility firm demanded settlement of the debt. “We made arrangement to pay on an installment basis. We are paying about $1.3 million to $1.4 million [a month],” Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio told reporters yesterday. “So we are trying to make good of our obligations.”

[B]Administration spending dropped by $35-M[/B]

Living up to the expectations of its self-imposed cost-cutting measures since 1998, the Tenorio Administration managed to slash its spending for the last fiscal year by more than $35 million, according to a report from the finance department. The DOF report, contained in the commerce department’s economic review, disclosed the Commonwealth spent only $220.3 million in Fiscal Year 1999, lower from the previous period’s $255.6 million. Government officials said the quality of the delivery of basic social and public services did not suffer despite the drastic cut in expenditures since the austerity measure primarily focused on non-essential spending.

[B][U]May 2, 2001[/U][/B] [B]Not enough nurses at CHC[/B]

At least nine retired nurses were called back to work yesterday by the Department of Public Health in efforts to alleviate problems associated with the shortage of nurses to man the hospital. Last month, the health department was forced to “borrow” nurses from the Rota and Tinian Public Health Centers to ease burdens of on-duty nurses working round-the-clock at the CHC. In an interview, DPH Secretary Kevin Villagomez disclosed measures have been installed to resolve the crisis which has become a national concern due to increasing demand of nurses even in the mainland United States. DPH has tapped the assistance of two manpower agencies to facilitate the swift employment of nurses to fill up vacated positions in the Intensive Care Unit, in-patient departments and other critical areas at the CHC.

[B]Firm sued for illegal dismissal[/B]

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has lodged complaints against a local corporation in behalf of the latter’s former employees whom it allegedly discharged for complaining against the company. Elm’s Corporation, a company that does business as Town and Country Restaurant, is facing a civil action suit before the US District Court for allegedly performing unlawful employment practices against workers Gemma Soriano and Antonio Magtibay. The former restaurant employees were allegedly terminated in retaliation last October 1998 after both filed an EEOC complaint against Town and Country for allegedly practicing unlawful sex discrimination.

[B][U]May 2, 2002[/U][/B] [B]US court stops FDM bombing[/B]

A federal court issued an injunction ordering the immediate halting of all military activities on Farallon de Mendinilla Island that would harm its bird population. Judge Emmett G. Sullivan, sitting on the bench for the U.S. District Court of Columbia, issued the injunction on April 30 (Columbia time), effectively enforcing the declaration of illegality that it rendered against the military bombing exercises sometime last March. In a statement sent to the Saipan Tribune via email, the Center for Biological Diversity—the environmental group which petitioned the court to issue the injunction—said that Sullivan did not give credence to the claim of the U.S. Navy and Department of Defense that an uninterrupted use of the island for bombing exercises is vital.

[B]…as Navy calls off exercises[/B]

Immediately after learning of the injunction order yesterday morning (Marianas time), the U.S. Navy called off its bombing exercises on Farallon de Mendinilla Island. This was disclosed by Lt. Monica Richardson, public affairs officer for the Commander of the Naval Forces Marianas based on Guam. Richardson said she received the information on Guam at about 7am. “We were advised of the judge’s decision,” Richardson told Saipan Tribune. “We are doing everything to comply with the decision.” “All military training that has been scheduled was canceled,” Richardson said.