Artanas• Micronesia's Leading Newspaper Since 1972

artanas• Micronesia's Leading Newspaper Since 1972 (j 11,, •' By Rafael H. Arroyo Another developer· reportedly ready to take over ment for MOM was confirmed Variety News Staff yesterday by Ferr himself. THE GOVERNMENT has ter to fulfill its commitments under ing Base is covered by a compre Meanwhile, the Variety learned The 13-story MDM Resort minated the defaulted land lease the I 987 lease, including its fail hensive public land use plan and that with the Apex deal scrapped, Hotel project is said to consist of agreement for Apex International ure to pay the required rental has previously been designated the Division is now looking for 504 guest rooms, restaurants, Corp. and is currently entertain amounts. as a harbor site for small boats ward to a land lease agreement swimming pools, a health spa, a ing another developer for a pos A recent audit conducted by the and fishery-related activities. with MDM Development Corp. tennis court, baIIrooms, confer sible lease of the same site. Public Auditor's Office of the According to Ferr, the termina for a planned beachside resort ence rooms and a children's ac Assistant Attorney General Dan Apex lease discovered that the tion of the Apex lease was a rec hotel, condominium and marina tivity center. Ferr, who serves as counsel for company owes the government ommendation made by the Public complex in area fronting the Kristo Asked yesterday about the the Public Lands Division, con some $840,000 in rentals and has Auditor in its audit of the land Rai Church in Garapan. MDM Corp. hotel project, acting i. lease deal. firmed that a notice of termina failed to construct its planned The existence of a lease'-"""" agree- __,....,.. ontinued on ~2 i tion has been issued March 27 to hotel/marina complex in the ___ Apex President Hajime Mori. Garapan Fishing Base as stipu Ferr said the termination lated in the lease agreement. I stemmed from Apex's inability The 4.2 hectare Garapan Fish- MVB nixes bill to cut its share in room tax By Rick Alberto Variety News Staff THE MARIANAS Visitors Bureau is opposing a bill that will reduce its· share from the hotel-room tax by 10 percent. The amount equivalent to the 10 percent would go to the building a cultural and performing arts center. • A_·,i: In a letter addressed to.Rep. Ana S. Teregeyo, who introduced ' . ~)II~ HB I 0-188, MVB board chair Antonio S. Guerrero and Manag ing Director Anicia Q. Tomokane said the reduction in the MVB 's share would redound to reduced spending for promotions of the CNMI. They said 60 percent of MVB's total.budget.goes to promo tions. "As tourism is our major source of revenue, the CNMI should · .... :.: . be spending more money to promote itself and not allow the NMI to regress or stagnate by decreasing promotional funding," ··-~-- Guerrei;o and Tomokane said. They claimed it was largely through aggressive promotional advertising abroad that "we see,'read and hear that the traveling - ·. A mother hblds h_er baby tight for immunization shots about to be administered by attending nurses at the Continued on page 42 Commonwealth Health Center's MCH section. The hospital has encouraged parents to bring their babies for shots as part of Infant Immunization---------------------- Week. Borja losing hope RP Petition for alien teachers garners 715 signatures will act on worker ban By Rick Alberto 285 because "within the upcom Variety News Staff By Rafael H. Arroyo Commonwealth will get lifted. ing labor complaints and alle ing weeks it looks like some of the Variety News Staff According to acting Gov. Jesus gations of abuse on Filipino THE ASSOCIATION of Com decisions are gonna be made as far THE CNMI government is on C. Borja, he is close to terminat workers here. monwealth Teachers yesterday as the nonresident teachers (are the verge of losing hope that ing the memorandum of under The ban prompted a number submitted to Gov. Froilan C. concerned)." the current ban on the deploy standing he signed with the Phil of high-level visits from Fili Tenorio and Speaker Diego "We're hoping that the petition ment of Filipino workers to the ippine government due to the pino officials after which came Benavente 715 signatures collected Continued on page 42 latter's "inaction" on its avowed an assurance that the ban will from supporters of 87 terminated lifting of the ban. be lifted soon. alien teachers in an effort to have "I have already told the AG The lifting of the ban got their work contract renewed. that I'm thinking about sending a entangled with a cabinet re The signatures were affixed to a n:::D'> _·.•·-·····1>:. letter to the Philippine saying, vamp initiated by Philippine petition that sought an answer from ·.!.J;;::/11··· •.·::: ...· ... we're sorry, we cannot live up to President Fidel V. Ramos. Up government leaders regarding the ·. U 00 our agreement," said Borja. to now, the ban is still in place, fate of the teachers, most of whom "We're sorry if we hurt your much to the dismay of CNMI are Filipinos. people but it appears that noth officials. Mick Hamilton, an ACT leader ing is going to be resolved and According to Borja, CNMI from the Marianas High School, '. that it perhaps means we may employers may now have to said the signatures were also de have to advise our people to look look at other countries for their livered to Education Commis elsewhere for their employment manpower needs, although the sioner WilliamS. Torres and to the needs," said the acting governor. decision to scrap the labor Board of Education. The Philippine government in MOU is not yet final. The association's goal was to March oflast year stopped send "Keep in mind, I am just collect at least 1,000 signatures, ing certain categories of contract thinking about it. I may change but Hamilton said they decided to submit the signatures yesterday -Partly cloudy Jesus C. Borja workers to the CNMI due to pend- C~ntinued on page 42 even if the number fell short by ------------(~ 2-I\IARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VIEWS-FRIDAY-APRIL 19, 1996 FRIDAY, APRIL 19, 1996-MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VIEWS-3 N. Korea plans more incursions i· SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - military. heightened alert. There have any peace measures must be istry and other administration North Korea is planning new North Korea caused alarm since been no further commu discussed by the two Koreas. agencies, he said. 19 new copsjoin DPS military border incursions by early this month by nullifying nist incursions into the demili In the new planned incur The scholar said that the mobilizing 1,000 tanks and the armistice that ended the tarized zone that separates the sion, he said North Korea North's hard-liners also By Ferdie de la Torre nine recruit,. 10.000 troops to press its de 1950-53 Korean War. It then two Koreas. would amass 1,000 tanks and showed strong obj Variety News Staff Acting Gov. Jesus Borja led the mand for direct peace negotia marched heavily armed troops The North Korean moves 10,000 troops in a highly vis ection to President Clinton· s NINETEEN newpoliceofficershave government dignitaries in congratu tions with the United States, a into the neutral border village were widely seen as an effort ible prairie inside the 4 kilo proposal for four-party peace joined the CNMI' sDepartment of lating the graduates he called the report said Thursday. of Panmunjom on three to force the United States to meter (2.5 mile) wide DMZ talks involving the United Public Safety. "guardians ofpublic safety." The South Korean newspa straight nights. start negotiations with it to on the central front-line, called States. China and the two Membersofthe I3thPoliccCycle Borja reminded the officers that per Hankyoreh Shinmun said Each time, the troops with replace the 1953 Korean ar "the iron triangle," the site of Kore as. took oath ofoffice administered by their primary purpose is "to protect in a Beijing-datelined report drew without incident. But mistice with a peace treaty, some of the fiercest fighting Clinton and South Korean Superior Court Presiding Judge the life, limb and property and not to that an ethnic Korean scholar South Korea immediately put snubbing rival South Korea. during the Korean conflict. President Kim Young-sam Alexandro C. Castro during instill fear." in China became aware of the its 650,000-member army on Washington maintains that "Their plan to do this in a proposed after their meeting yesterday's graduation ceremony at DPS CommissionerJoseM. Castro North Korei.ln plan during his --------·------. highly visible area is obvi on the southern resort island the Diamond Hotel. urged the new recruits to help their recent visit to Pyongyang. ous," the paper quoted him as of Chej u Tuesday that the Police Officer I Clement R. superiors, supervisors and show re ··1 fed obliged to disclose saying. Observers believe that four-party talks could arrange Bem1udes was narnedcla~s' valedic spect to their co-workers particularly this. because I think that the the North apparently chose the a new peace mechanism on torian. He is the son ofConnie Reyes the community they must serve. mows being pushed by some border village of Panmunjom the Korean peninsula. Bem1udesandJuanDLG.Bennudes. Castro said with the new gradu hard-liners in the party and for its earlier incursions to North Korea. which insists Officer Eddie I-Chih Chen was the ates, DPS still needs more law en military are dangerous and can attract world attention.

Load more