![\"From](\"http:\/\/tribune.ctsi-logistics.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/AGs-Cup-pix.jpg\")
<\/a>\u201cIt is not about aliens, it\u2019s not about immigrants, it\u2019s not even about that elusive term \u2018indigenous\u2019\u2014it\u2019s about human beings,\u201d she told the panel of nine judges. \u201cMany CW workers have lived and worked here with their families for 10, 15, 20 or more years. My own parents have given their blood, sweat, and tears here for 26 long years. In other parts of the country, five years of legal work is all they would have needed for permanent residency or a green card. But not here. Not now. Not them. This is wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lazaro took the position of not extending the Commonwealth Worker permit program. Instead, she said, the federal government should improve the immigration status of all CW workers as part of a broader immigration reform package that grants them interstate mobility. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe must give CW workers the same freedom that CNMI residents have had for over two decades; the freedom to choose whether to stay here or to seek opportunity elsewhere in the nation.\u201d<\/p>\n
She noted that the federal government needs to focus on a broader immigration reform and pass U.S. Senate Bill 744, the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act of 2013. This, she said, will pave the way to citizenship for all immigrants\u2014including CW permit holders. <\/p>\n
She added that if such a thing were to happen, it will help the economy and address the cultural anxiety among Chamorros and Carolinians.<\/p>\n
\u201cGiving the workers the freedom to choose to stay or leave is the right and moral and ethical thing to do,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Lazaro, whose parents are CW workers, said that her parents and other immigrants deserve to be treated as human beings.<\/p>\n
In a later interview with the Saipan Tribune, Lazaro said that winning was \u201cabsolutely fantastic, it is a phenomenal feeling.\u201d She attributed her success to her school, coaches, and classmates who helped her form her speech. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe started preparing three months before the competition and I am glad this team effort and all the work paid off,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n
Lazaro is the daughter of Leandro O. and Ma. Christina M. Lazaro. <\/p>\n
This is Mount Carmel School\u2019s 12th consecutive win in the annual speech tilt and its 16th win in the entire competition\u2019s history. School president and speech coach Galvin Deleon Guerrero has successfully molded several students over the past decades and has proven that MCS is the team to beat every year.<\/p>\n
Guerrero said this year\u2019s competition was different from previous years. \u201cWhat is more important than winning was the story and message the students had. The topic transcended the competition and meant something to a lot of people,\u201d he said. \u201cEvery year it gets harder and harder. Everyone has great delivery, content, and organization.\u201d<\/p>\n
Attorney General Joey San Nicolas said he was very impressed with the level of research the students presented and how deep the arguments were.<\/p>\n
\u201cEvery year it is a different issue and I know this will have an impact in our economy and life. We all should sit down and listen to what they have to say,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Marianas High School\u2019s Matthew Lopez garnered second place and third place went to Katrina Cruz from Saipan Southern High School. Marianas Baptist Academy\u2019s Mina Ito, Tinian High School\u2019s Kyle Sanbergen, and Kagman High School\u2019s Lou Shrine Guevarra also participated in Friday\u2019s competition.<\/p>\n
Students said that the topic was personal to them and that the competition was more than just about delivering the perfect speech. \u201cIt is about voicing our opinions,\u201d Lopez, a senior at MHS, said. <\/p>\n
Cruz, for her part, said that she is satisfied with her win and is glad that she could present her views to leaders who attended the competition.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have friends at school who are children of CW workers and I understand how important this issue is,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n
The students were judged based on the content of their speech, presentation, clarity, and their ability to convince competition. <\/p>\n
Lt. Gov. Jude U. Hofschneider, Sen. Francisco Borja, Lucy Blanco-Maratita, representing the Mayor of Tinian, Attorney General Joey San Nicolas, Chief Justice Alexandro Castro, Presiding Judge Roberto Naraja, retired presiding judge Edward Manibusan, former associate judge Herbert Soll, and former attorney general Pamela Brown served as judges for the competition. <\/p>\n
Adding meaning to this year\u2019s AG\u2019s Cup competition was the presence of former Marianas Political Status Commission vice chair Vicente N. Santos. Santos urged the panel of judges, politicians, and the audience to start working together, instead of separately from each other to address immigration issues. He said that leaders \u201care not making the right decisions with immigration and have been procrastinating.\u201d He added that the CNMI should train its youth to create a sufficient workforce. <\/p>\n
Plaques of recognition were also presented to private sector organizations supporting the competition and individuals who made the event on Tinian a success.<\/p>\n
Participants were treated to a lunch at Tinian\u2019s Taga Beach after the conclusion of the competition and later participated in a one-hour tour of the island led by Mayor\u2019s Office chief of staff Don Farrell.<\/p>\n
This is the second time the competition was hosted on Tinian. It was last held there in 2005.<\/p>\n
Last Friday\u2019s AG\u2019s Cup speeches will be aired on PBS Guam, channel 12, on May 25 in its entirety. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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