While Saipan Mayor David M. Apatang isn\u2019t endorsing anyone running for Saipan mayor at the moment, his only advice to candidates who are gunning for the post that he will be vacating is to \u201clisten to the people.\u201d<\/p>\n
In an interview with Apatang last Friday, he said he isn\u2019t endorsing anybody now because they are his friends. \u201cI don’t think it’s fair that I endorse anybody at this point in time, I think we should wait. I’m still a mayor until 2023, so [there\u2019s] still time,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Whoever\u2019s endorsed by Apatang\u2019s party, then he will probably endorse and support him\/her. Apatang ran during the last elections as a candidate of the Republican Party.<\/p>\n
As for his advice to the two who have already made public their plans to run for mayor\u2014Ramon Blas \u201cRB\u201d Camacho and Rep. Joseph Lee Pan Tenorio Guerrero (R-Saipan)\u2014Apatang said they should \u201clisten to the people.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s why you are here, you work for them. \u2026We have hardworking staff here in this office, and they work hard for our taxpayers. Devote your time to let people listen to our people because [there\u2019s] a lot of them that need help, especially after typhoons,\u201d said Apatang.<\/p>\n
As his term nears its end, Apatang said it\u2019s been \u201cvery challenging\u201d but he remains committed to working for the people until his last day, which is in January 2023.<\/p>\n
\u201cI committed myself after I retired from the military to come back and work for people and I’m still working. So hopefully I’ll be okay when I get out here. I don’t know what I’m going to do, but we’ll wait and see,\u201d said Apatang.<\/p>\n
In reminiscing about the early parts of his term, Apatang says he\u2019s the \u201conly mayor who\u2019s been through hell.\u201d Apatang has been through two typhoons\u2014Super Typhoon Yutu in 2018 and Typhoon Soudelor 2015\u2014during his term as Saipan mayor. Also, when he first stepped into office, there were no equipment and the office had rundown trucks, so his office applied for many grants to supply his office with new equipment and trucks.<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter Super Typhoon Yutu, there were a lot of challenges here in the office. The next mayor\u2026will have all the equipment here now,\u201d said Apatang. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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