Arianas ~Riet~~ Micronesia's Leading Newspaper Since 1972 ~ VS
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I '' arianas ~riet~~ Micronesia's Leading Newspaper Since 1972 ~ VS ResRep foots Mansur trip; nothing wrong says aide Complex opening By Zaldy Dandan Variety News Staff RESIDENT Rep. Juan N. faces uncertainty Babauta 's office is footing the bill for having a top adviser to a By Ferdie de la Torre U.S. congressman visit the Variety News Staff CNMI, but a Babauta aide yes THE OPENING of the multimil terday said the expenses are a lion Judicial Complex in Susupe legitimate use of public funds is facing uncertainty because of for public purposes. problems with its construction and Bob Schwalbach, Babauta's a costly budget for operations. congressional liaison officer, Couils Director Edward C. De said there is no secrecy involved Leon Guerrero in an interview in Manase Ma.nsur's ongoing Manase Mansur yesterday said he could not say fact-finding visit, adding that when the complex will finally be the resident representative's of committee next month in light fully operational. fice will be "happy to give a fu 11 of the persistent reports of labor De Leon Guerrero acknowl account of the expenses" in and immigration abuses in the euged earlier projections that the volved. CNMI. new building was to open in De Mansur is insular affairs ad . But the ranking Democrat in cember 1997 but clarified they the committee, U.S. Congress were based on Department of viser to U.S. Congressman Don The multimillion Judicial Complex: No opening date yet. Young (R-Alaska),.chairof the man George Miller of Califor Public Works estimates. U.S. House Resources Com nia, is already scheduled lo ar He, however, stressed that the !ems in central air-conditioning, systems and some doors for the mittee which has oversight ju rive Sunday, Jan. 11. and in relocation to the new building elevators, fire alarm and security security system," said the dirt::c risdiction over the CNMI and tends to "see much of the Com ranks high among the judiciary's systems. tor. monwealth and meet many of priorities in 1998. "It's too noisy and hot in other De Leon Guerrero emphasized I other insular areas. I Young, for his part, has sched its residents." The courts director said the areas. Six elevators are still not that al though the court is the owner uled a fact-finding visit by the Continued on page 20 building itself is not ready for commissioned for service. of the complex, it is not involved occupancy yet because of prob- They're still doing the fire alarm Continued on page 20 'O·pen· market' allows It,, overpricing of goods By Aldwin R. Fajardo the shelf prices of such imported Variety News Staff commodities. TI-IEPREV AILING"open mar Given freight costs and other ket" policy of the Northern overhead expenses, sources say Marianas is resulting to im shelf pricing of Philippine ex ported goods and commodities ports like food stuffs are still being priced at extremely high "way too high." levels. For instance, a pack of Goods imported from other noodles which could be bought countries could have been · at five Philippine pesos (PhP), passed over to end-consum~rs is sold at $1 for every three generally overpriced, or at the packs, which is translated to ·very least, double the procure PhP 13.00 each. ment price from exporting na This figure is more than 50 tions. percentthe good's price back in A random survey made by the Philippines. the Variety on some Philippine A bottle of seasoning, which ........... ,. items sold in several groceries is only about PhP30 ($0.75) in and shopping centers on the is the Philippines, is being passed MHS Teacher Academy student Anerica Bermudes (right) helps a first grader at San Vicente Elem. School land showed a huge difference over at $2.49 in grocery stores with his schoolwork. MHS students have started helping younger. students as teacher aides this week. between the '.'unshipped" and Continued on page 2"0 Photo by Lalla C. Younis r:c;=,1:,\;:!'.,,., .. ,.. ,:,r::;.~r_:::§E'.[·'~:,p;;,;7:~..:~,:..'Jt~tl?·''f'St.,,~~:.:£fr.;.':,t2:r..:;,~·;spr,,$t,•:itMl1i:llU&WM.i:?i@!iS!;.$tm&.eta-~A;C@li<Nl:iiiiit4'iNiWWfr··''•)·l,;t;}7,"':.;;J"'::1s®!!/~TI1 !J Lobbyists urging Tenorio to sign 'medical cost' bill ~ .W-EAT~ER H By Zaldy Dandan has been on the desk of the gover- ·, · nature and have a second look t;.· i'\j Variety News Staff nor since Monday. · at the controversial legislation. k f,~ '.'LOBBY~STS"have be~n urg- Sources s~id 1:en~rio was al- The veto message has al- Ou1look ~ mg outgoing Gov. Froilan C. most talked mto s1gmng the mea- ready been prepared, and the ,, Tenorio to sign a bill that seeks sureTuesdaybyagroupofpeople governor may sign it by today, to make the hiring of alien who visited him at his official it was learned. workers more affordable, but residence. Tenorio, whose term ends he may eventually veto it, ad- The same sources, however, Monday, Jan. 12, earlier said ministration sources said yes- refused to identify the "lobby- he is inclined towards vetoing terday. ists." the bill, adding that employers Senate Bill I 0-4, which Other Variety sources, for their should still be responsible for would no longer require em- part, said the governor did sign the workers' medical costs. ' ployers to pay for their alien the bilJ, but his aides ''strongly Otherwise, he said, the . Partly ·cloudy with workers' medical expenses,· advised" him to cross out his sig- Froilan C. Tenorio Continued on page 20 Isolated showers PAC NEWSPAPER STACKS 2-MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VIEWS-THURSDAY- JANUARY 8 1998 THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 1998 -MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VJEWS-3 Il· t cord Korea trade [ scrutinizes factory By Rick Alberto "We were opposed to MGM's Variety News Staff CUC, HPO reps not signing permit for MGM /Diorva By KYONG-HWA SEOK stock prices raised hope that the That followed a current account t presence because of its environ SEOUL,South Korea (AP)-South country's economic crisis may be surplus of$540 million in November \l ENVIRONMENT AL concerns nership with MGM to revive the Dionicio and his son, Joe, were cems of the ToITeses. They are ment imp act and the presence ofa Korea posted its second straight eased earlier than expected. 1997, the first surplus since Decem arising from a gannents factory garments firm in 1995. present at yesterday's meeting to the representatives of the Com large number of foreign workers monthly tr&de and current account 'Toe news of the surplus will posi ber 1993. J, which was reopened in 1995 and The factory last year was up verbally air their concerns on the monwealth Utilities Corp. and the in a small fanning or residential surpluses in December, the Bank of tively affect foreign investors, be The current account measures a has undergone major expansion graded into a two-story structure factory's "adverse impact on the Historic Preservation Office. community." Korea said Wednesday. cause they will think Korea's ability nation's trade in goods and services were aired in yesterday's Coastal that houses the main offices and environment and community in Technically there is a deadlock Consequently the Torres fam Bank officials attributed the sur to pay back foreign loans will be plus certain other capital flows. It is a Resources Management board the sewing, cutting, trimming and the Dandan area." on the issue, according to CRM ily filed a lawsuit to enjoin MGM pluses to a sharp .depreciation of the stronger," said Kang Sung-mo, an key yardstick for gauging a nation's meeting.' shopping departments. Previously Joe T. Torres had Deputy Director Peter Barias. from constructing the factory, but i The factory, owned by MGM/Diorva is proposing to made known their opposition to Under this situation, the CRM MGM prevailed in the court deci Korean cmrency, which boosted ex analyst at Hanjin Investment and Se economic health. r!' port, and discouraged imports. The cmities Co. Kang said, however, Trade in December also produced ' Micronesian Gannent Manufac build new constructions includ the presence of the factory to the can ask the governor to sign the sion. Kori:!an won lost moil:! than half of its that it was premature to predict a record surplus of $ 2.69 billion, turing/Diorva, late last year was ing a storage building. CRM in writing at least thrice. permit, which the Torreses are In not signing the pennit forthe value la.st year. whether the trend would continue. contributing to the month's current discovered by the CRM to have Leading the opposition to the But the fact is, the CRM is trying to prevent. factory, the CUC representative 1l1e central bank said the trade and In December, South Korea regis account surplus, the bank said. The expanded from a small factory in granting of a coastal permit to dealing with an after-the-fact situ Joe Torres is raising several says the problem of inadequate cuni:!nt account su1pluses in Decem tered a $3.64 billion current account previous record monthly trade sur 1988 such that it required a permit MGM/Diorva is the family of ation. The expanded facility has technicalities, including the fact sewer system in the area should ber we1<! the highest ever. surplus, surpassing the previous plus was$ 1.76 billion in December as a major siting project. Dionicio C. Torres whose house already been completed. that adjacent property owners first be addressed. 1l1e unexpectedly high December monthly high of dlrs 1.84 billion in 1988. .The factory closed down in and property is adjacent to the The owner, by applying for a were not informed about the ex Gourley, however, said the smpluses plus the continuing rise in December 1988.