Submerged lands control, rampant militarization, and the federal immigration takeover headlined concerns raised at a public hearing last night on a bill to establish the second Marianas Political Status Commission.<\/p>\n
The commission would review whether the CNMI desires to continue its relationship with the United States or if another political status would suit its goals of self-government.<\/p>\n
This was the fourth hearing on the bill and while most of the concerns were with the \u201caggressiveness\u201d or the \u201cone-sidedness\u201d of federal policies, the Covenant, the document negotiated by the founding fathers of the Commonwealth, was also questioned.<\/p>\n
John Tagabuel, executive director of the Carolinian Affairs Office, supported the bill as it would launch a political discussion and \u201ceducation\u201d on the CNMI\u2019s relationship with the United States under the Covenant. <\/p>\n
Tagabuel said people \u201cknow very little\u201d about the Covenant\u201d and \u201cwhy\u201d they are under the sovereignty of the United States. <\/p>\n
\u201cThese are not clear to me and especially to the Carolinians\u2026whom I represent,\u201d he said. He noted that the resources of land and air were not given to the United States but submerged lands were. \u201cWhy? I don\u2019t know,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Tagabuel pointed that the U.S. President by a \u201cstroke of a pen\u201d took hundreds of miles of submerged lands, or the Marianas Trench Marine National Monument, away from the local people. He asked if the Covenant gave this right for a president for this action.<\/p>\n
He said the U.S. is \u201ctreating us like a U.S. territory\u201d like Guam or American Samoa, who are \u201cnon-governing political entities,\u201d he said. This treatment makes the Sec. 103 of the Covenant, on the right to local self-government, \u201cmeaningless.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAre we are a territory of the U.S.?\u201d Tagabuel asked. The bill in question would provide the people \u201cgreater understanding\u201d so that future generations can \u201cattain true self government that is respected and protected,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Daniel Quitugua, vice president of the Northern Marianas Descent Corp., supported the bill and spent time lamenting on the habits of \u201cprocrastination\u201d practiced by post-Covenant government leaders that pitted the government and people in a \u201cdisadvantageous position\u201d and cost them \u201cmillions of dollars\u201d since the time of the Covenant.<\/p>\n
Quitugua, referring to the U.S. takeover of local immigration a handful of years ago, said instead of correcting immigration \u201cdeficiencies\u201d warned by U.S. Congress then, leaders gave the \u201cusual action of procrastination and wavering.\u201d<\/p>\n
This, over \u201cremedial and corrective action,\u201d he said, speaking to local labor and immigration issues that drew national attention years ago.<\/p>\n
Quitugua said this \u201c11th hour\u201d action was not an effective use of power.<\/p>\n
He said procrastination was a political disease that \u201cwe cannot cure ourselves from.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are our own worst enemy,\u201d Quitugua said, but also pointed to the \u201carrogance\u201d of the federal government to unilaterally seek land for \u201cdestructive uses\u201d must be intervened.<\/p>\n
He said the political status review must assess the U.S.-local relationship and present \u201cpolitical options.\u201d<\/p>\n
He suggested a joint resolution from the Legislature be sent to the U.S. President regarding this review of political status.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is not anti-American\u201d but \u201cdemocratic\u201d and \u201cembracing of the American dream\u201d to raise these concerns, he said.<\/p>\n
Liana Hofshcneider, a founding member of the Matua Council on Chamorro Advancement, drew attention to the U.S. and international agreements that led to the closure of the CNMI\u2019s garment industry that affected not only the local government but the programs and services they provided to the local people.<\/p>\n
\u201cThose have been taken away in a one sided federal policy,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
The council leader also pointed to the 200-mile exclusive economic zone that she called the \u201crefrigerator\u201d of ocean resources and submerged lands of the people. And also directed concern to how a U.S. president \u201cunilaterally and one-sidedly asserted the Antiquities Act\u201d to \u201ctake away the rights of our indigenous people\u201d referring to the three northern islands as part of the Trench Monument.<\/p>\n
Still, she conceded that issues of immigration control were largely \u201c90 percent our fault.\u201d She added, though, that the employees who worked at local immigration were forced to transfer from jobs they had worked for more than 10 to 20 years.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf this happened in the state of Georgia, there would be repercussions,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Richard Seman, secretary of the Department of Lands and Natural Resources, spoke on his personal behalf as one who was 16 years old when the Covenant was enacted and one who has married and has had children since that time.<\/p>\n
He now believes that \u201cthe society we are in\u201d or \u201choped to be\u201d was not the one local people felt they would have almost 40 years ago.<\/p>\n
Seman said there was no sense in trying to change political status but urged more education and a need to discuss issues with the U.S. The CNMI \u201cmust sit down\u201d and talk issues as there are among us those who \u201cfeel less than American,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The legislation before them would give this discussion \u201cdirection,\u201d he said. \u201cLet\u2019s not wait another 40 years\u201d before more formal discussion.<\/p>\n
Seman believes \u201cit is very American to bring\u201d these issues before \u201cpeople with political power,\u201d adding that many \u201cminority issues\u201d like women\u2019s rights or slavery where fought for in the United States which is \u201cnot perfect.\u201d<\/p>\n
Seman believes over time things \u201ccan change. \u201cIt\u2019s time for us to make that change for our people,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Pedro Deleon Guerrero claimed that during his time in the local Legislature back during Covenant negotiations, he and other lawmakers were never given the opportunity to read the Covenant. The proposal was only presented as a resolution to approve the Covenant, he said, which he voted for as well as the plebiscite to ratify it.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe sentiment of our people then was we wanted to opt out of\u2026the Trust Territory,\u201d Deleon Guerrero said, referring to the form of U.S.-administered government among Micronesian Islands back then.<\/p>\n
He added the local people wanted the opportunity to be American citizens and to be \u201cbetter off economically.\u201d \u201cWell, that is not the case I see today,\u201d he added. <\/p>\n
Deleon Guerrero believes that people then and he, himself, did not understood what the Covenant meant by \u201csovereignty,\u201d which he believes the U.S. is \u201ctaking advantage of.\u201d<\/p>\n
He urged that the U.S. government be brought to the table to define \u201cunder sovereignty of the U.S. in black and white,\u201d adding that the Covenant \u201cdoes and does not\u201d do this. \u201cThat must be clarified,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Deleon Guerrero also drew concern to submerged land talks that he believes were \u201cnot taken seriously\u201d because of federal interests. <\/p>\n
\u201cWhat are the interests? Military, military. No more, no less. It\u2019s the military,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Richard Hofschneider argued that the CNMI was not equal among the rest of the 50 U.S. states, saying that the power of representation U.S. Delegate Gregorio Kilili C. Sablan (Ind-MP) was not on par with the other representatives in Congress. \u201cWe have to correct that,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Hofschneider stressed that for their message to be taken seriously they have to look to their \u201csouthern brothers\u201d in the Marianas in Guam, and the self-determination and decolonization movement there. Otherwise, he foresees, that U.S. policy makers will not listen to position that is not unified.<\/p>\n
Pointing to the \u201caggressive\u201d militarization on Guam and the proposed and ongoing military actions in the NMI, Hofschneider believes it would \u201cbe a futile attempt for us to speak just for the Northern Marianas.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have to start talking about freedom. And true freedom,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
A monumental task<\/strong><\/p>\n Sen. Arnold Palacios (R-Saipan), who chairs the Senate committee that held the public hearing last night, called the issue before them, \u201cmonumental.\u201d<\/p>\n The Senate has held four public hearings, one each on Rota and Tinian, and two on Saipan, but senators feel a lack of concern or input from the larger community.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is not just about legislating traffic,\u201d Palacios said. \u201cWe are going to be talking about the foundations of governance and this is something that should not be taken lightly.\u201d<\/p>\n Seeking to allay an impressions that the Senate is \u201cdragging its feet\u201d on the bill, Palacios said, once the commission is set in place it will have a lot of work to do and this garners the worry of a lack of resources to complete its work.<\/p>\n \u201cWe cannot do this half-heartedly,\u201d he said, noting that the first political status commission, which his father partook in, took more than five years to prepare its findings, after village meetings after village meetings, on each island, that he recalled took a lot of family sacrifice.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is our future we are going to be talking about,\u201d Palacios said, adding that they need to be careful on how they craft this and move forward so \u201cit not fall apart.\u201d<\/p>\n Sen. Sixto Igisomar (R-Saipan) said, referring the lack of objectors to the bill that night, said he has been receiving phone calls and Facebook messages from dissenters who have asked to \u201cplease stop this\u201d bill, or \u201cdon\u2019t do this,\u201d or \u201cwhy are you going to take my passport away?\u201d<\/p>\n Speaking to the questions the Covenant leaves people, Igisomar asked, \u201cAre we a political union? <\/p>\n \u201c\u2026How much is that to be self-governed? [Does that mean] administratively or in totally?\u201d<\/p>\n Sen. Frank Cruz (R-Tinian), for his part, hoped for more participation from the general public.<\/p>\n 902<\/strong><\/p>\n Private businessman Alex Sablan told Saipan Tribune that \u201cthere is a lot of logic to have another round of discussion.\u201d<\/p>\n Sablan, though, believes that lot of the arguments made stem from negotiations that did not take place or should have taken place in the \u201cfirst round,\u201d like the insistence that the CNMI be able to vote for the United States, or the exclusive economic zones or submerged land concerns.<\/p>\n Sablan said he personally believes there is a lot of logic to having another round of discussion. \u201cBut based on the provisions under the U.N., the Commonwealth is going to need to take a hard look at what true provisions of the Covenant have been violated to the degree that it requires the U.N. to step in and make a decision, if we ultimately make the decision to go to a different status.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t think we have enough harm that has been done. I understand a lot of the impact of immigration is impact the future of the Commonwealth, and we don\u2019t want to be another Puerto Rico.<\/p>\n Sablan, instead, pointed to \u201c902 talks\u201d between the CNMI and the White House requested last year pursuant to the Covenant that Sablan believes could be the avenue that CNMI makes it case.<\/p>\n If the seriousness of these issues\u2014which are military and labor issues\u2014are not taken into consideration by the United States, Sablan said, then the CNMI will \u201chave cause to go before the UN and argue the point that there isn\u2019t a respect for our self-government.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t think we\u2019ve taken enough of these issues to the United States…If the United States continues to take a deaf ear, a blind eye, to the problem then I think there is an argument but I don\u2019t think we\u2019ve set ourselves up to take it\u201d to that next step.<\/p>\n The United Nations General Assembly Resolution 1541 permits free association with or full and equal integration into another political state, but that these options are subject to strict limitations to prohibit unlawful colonialism.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Submerged lands control, rampant militarization, and the federal immigration takeover headlined concerns raised at a…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":47,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[94],"tags":[26,8269,67,57],"class_list":["post-221683","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-headlines","tag-cnmi","tag-pedro-deleon-guerrero","tag-people","tag-united-states"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/221683","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/47"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=221683"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/221683\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=221683"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=221683"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=221683"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}