{"id":412109,"date":"2024-08-21T14:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-08-21T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/?p=412109"},"modified":"-0001-11-30T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"-0001-11-29T14:00:00","slug":"CPA-sends-Star-Marianas-second-notice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/CPA-sends-Star-Marianas-second-notice\/","title":{"rendered":"CPA sends Star Marianas second notice"},"content":{"rendered":"

The dispute between the Commonwealth Ports Authority and Star Marianas Air, Inc. remains unresolved with CPA sending Star Marianas a follow up collections notice.<\/p>\n

Last week, the 30 days CPA gave Star Marianas to make payments toward a collections notice of over $1 million expired. However, Star Marianas and CPA remain at an impasse on the matter.<\/p>\n

According to CPA executive director Leo Tudela, due to legal matters, he is unable to disclose specifics about the current situation with Star Marianas, but he did share that a follow up collections notice was sent out as of last week.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur lawyer has [advised] that we not speak on the Star Marianas issue right now as we are in litigation. But we did send out another collections notice last week. We didn\u2019t reply to any comments because we\u2019re under litigation,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

CPA board vice chair Antonio Cabrera said CPA will be putting a hold on any public comments regarding the dispute with Star Marianas due to it being a sensitive legal issue.<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause this is a very sensitive issue, we prefer to put publicity on hold because we [are at an impasse]. We don\u2019t want to create confusion. We\u2019re just doing our part and we\u2019ve sent them a follow up collections notice. That\u2019s it for now,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, in an interview with Gov. Arnold I. Palacios on the matter, he said he has spoken to all parties in this matter but because both are standing firm on their positions on the matter, he must find another way to help for the sake of CNMI community members who rely on Star Marianas for air service.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve talked with Star Marianas, they have their own position, I\u2019ve talked to CPA and they have their own position. So, now I\u2019ve got to pivot and see what I can do to figure out if we can resolve this situation between both parties,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

However, at the end of the day, Palacios said this matter must go through CPA as it is an autonomous agency.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis must go through CPA. There is a lawsuit that is pending so I\u2019m going to try everything I can. But CPA is an autonomous agency, and I don\u2019t want to appear like I\u2019m overly involving myself with matter concerning CPA. But, this is a community concern that we need to address regardless of that. We need to see where we can work and what can be done,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Last month, CPA sent out a debt collection notice to Star Marianas for payment of over $1.2 million in airport fees dating back to 2022.<\/p>\n

Star Marianas, for its part, sent a letter in response to CPA\u2019s notice stating that they do not agree with CPA\u2019s method of collecting its fees and that should the matter not be resolved, Star Marianas would have to cease operations come October.<\/p>\n

Tinian and Rota leadership have both reached out to CPA and Star Marianas pleading for a resolve stating that it is the island\u2019s people who would suffer should this dispute remain unresolved.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

A file photo of one of the planes of Star Marianas Air, Inc.<\/p>\n

-KIMBERLY ESMORES
<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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