arianas %riety.;~ Micronesia's Leading Newspaper Since 1972 ~ fl\VS ,· I II i Teno assured Japan nuclear radiation won't reachCNMI By Haldee V. Eugenio Variety News Staff GOVERNORPedroP. Tenorio on Saturday assured the CNMI community ·that radioactive contamination from last week's nuclear accident inJapan would not in any way reach NMI shores. Tenorio made the statement following safety assurances from various federal and local agencies. "The community should not worry because the agencies in­ volved assured us it will not have an effect on the NMI," Tenorio told the Variety on Saturday. Tenorio on Friday morning immediately ordered the Emer­ gency Management Office (EMO) and the Division of En­ vironmental Quality (DEQ) to monitor possible effects to the Saipanda welcome for Northwest. Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio (center) is joined by MVA, CPA and other officials in welcoming the return to Saipan CNMI of the major leak at a of Northwest Airlines' bigger 8747 Boeing jet. The new jet landed at the Saipan airport Saturday (inset). uranium-processing plant in central Japan which sent radia­ tion levels in the area skyrock­ eting. The incident also reportedly Northwest: Dem.and for exposed some 55 plant work­ ers to radiation, with at least two workers said to be in criti­ cal condition. Saipan travel stronger EMO and DEQ contacted the Federal Emergency Manage­ By Haldee V. Eugenio the airline's decision to re-intro­ interview. "We want to work closely with ment Agency, the u:s. Envi­ Variety News Staff duce bigger aircraft to accommo­ CNMI government officials led Northwest and I am very thankful ronmental Protection Agency THE JAPANESE tourism mar­ date more passengers .. by Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio, tour for their (decision of) using big­ and the U.S. Command Naval ket remains strong as ever and From July to September, for operators, and the media trooped ger planes," said Tenorio. Marianas based in Hawaii to only the lack of available airline example, Northwest's passenger to the Saipan International Air­ With Northwest's bigger pas­ get information on the inci­ seats has made the market seem to load rate was' pegged at over 90 port Saturday afternoon to wit­ senger capacity, Japanese dent. perform bad. percent, according to Nishihara. ness the arrival of Northwest's monthly arrivals to the island is "I am saddened by this (inci­ This was the observation of­ Starting Oct. 2nd, Northwest firstB747 flight from Japan, more expected to register a steady posi­ dent) and we are concerned be­ fered by Northwest Airlines offi­ will be using B747 aircraft which than a year after the use of such tive growth. cause especially during the cials during Saturday's "Hafa has a seating capacity of 371, re­ aircraft was terminated. Marianas Visitors Authority month of December, prevail­ Adai" clearance for the arrival of placing the 271-seater DC 10 air­ The governor said Northwest's (MV A) Board chaitman David ing winds come this way. its first Boeing 747 flight for the craft. decision to upgauge its aircraft is M. Sablan said Northwest remains "We have cool breeze on De, year. "We have strong demand in a big contribution to the CNMI a reliable tourism and transporta- cember because of the melting Toshiaki Nishihara,Northwest­ Japan. Lots of people want to go tourism industry. Continued on page 26 of the snow in Japan. We want Tokyo's sales account manager, to Saipan that's why we decided to ensure the wind that we will said the strong market demand to change the aircraft from DC 10 Continued on page 26 has been the main force behind to B747," Nishihara said in an ·Anjanette insists 'ice' -··--· .......... - · 4. ~ - --········------~- --···-- •• ·:... -- ---- --·- = -· :_..,... .. :...... _:~. -r~c_-::::..-::: '.7"\..::...._.- sr:::----..:::: ---~- · ::.::_ .. ;:::~-----~..::::::...... ,- -.:::..•.• --=.;,.____.;,_. · --- · -il n ._DPH, DOLi eye more Manila clinics)! pipe belongs to sister .,'I By Eric F: Say By Haldee V. Eugenio Luke's Medical Center, flex­ " Variety f\JewsStaf( ibility has been given to DPH ;1 Variety News Staff :I HAGA~A-:,-The Philippine: AT LEAST four more medical and the Department of Labor · movie actress arrested· last Sat:. ·· institutions in the Philippines and Immigration (DOLi) in fl urday for allegedIYattempting · H are being sought for the issu- designating additional accept­ !' . tosmugglecrys~l'fu~thajnpll¢F'. ..· : · p ance of the required health clear­ able sources for health certifi- l amineor~~ice'.':intoG~ariicfaims: . = '. /: ances for Filipino nonresident cations. ! il workers bound for the CNMI, DPH and DOLi, together r ii the Department of Public Health with the Philippine Consulate I ·:r;~11~~~):;': /j (DPH) disclosed over the week­ here, are currently working on t .be¢ri: .charged.. >bY,:·.tlieiattomef· <' II end. finalizing the list of these clin- fl Genera]~s:-Qffi:te\(J.\PP);/w1fut:·1 I' Health Secretary Joseph ics. ·1 foutsepatateJelonyAAiimisde:..· ,. /; Kevin Villagomez said that "The reason why (we want l.1 ineanof crimes.i,:,, .... /'.;Y;,::.(:·c ..·:<:, .•.... a f; while the newly-enacted Pub­ additional certified clinics) is ~ :: ·:. sliea~¥ed~~fo~.sµ~ri9r: :i (i lie Law 11-97 only specifies St. Joseph Kevin Villagomez Continued on page 26 ij l'.:::·.=·::-_-c".- :cc::cc·c. .... ,•:: ::c.c:.._:e=.::.c: -. ·· ..• , -· ... , .... •·. ":· .. ,-;;,:;, .,,---:---..... •__ ''. -- __ -· _...... _ . ·:. , ••., . ____ :. 1'...,,.. _ ..,_ • .,,., __ ..__, ...\!S.. •. ~---~-- ··--'!·-·····-·:_:::· ... · ·· :' ,, ~ontl1111~d.'.~m:pag~?6_ , .·.: MONDAY, OCTOBER 4, 1999 -MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VIEWS-3 2-MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VIEWS-MONDAY- OCTOBER 4, 1999 NMl prote$ts In the Philippines · · News-Briefs. · reimbursement deal offered by Powe1-f\1l blast injures 5 US missile-intercept test Federal Gov't ZAMBOANGA, Philippines Police said the show was not including Muslim separatist rebels. By Jojo Dass (AP) - A homemade bomb disturbed by the explosion. Zamboanga police chief Mario a success Variety News Staff spiked with nails exploded out­ "I saw two people, their faces Y angasaid the bomb was made of WASIDNGTON (Reuters) - The United States military said THE CNMI can only spend the side a school stadium in this south­ bloodied, being dragged away by gunpowder and nails and left in a early on Sunday it had successfully completed the first test of a $750,000 reimbursement it will emPhilippine city, inju ring at least the police. There was chaos and tin can near the stadium's ticket prototype weapon that could lay the groundwork for a national five people, police said Sunday. confusion and people were booth at the main gate. receive from the U.S. for accom­ missile defence system. modating 700 illegal Chinese mi­ Police said the bomb went off screaming," said Juvielyn Several grenade attacks on pas­ U.S. military officials said a modified unarmed Minuteman inter­ grants under the terms and condi­ late Saturday near a ticket booth Espiritu, who saw the explosion. senger buses and terminals have continental ballistic missile (ICBM) fired from. California was tions imposed by the federal gov­ of the Summit Center, injuring at No one was arrested by police, been staged by suspected Muslim intercepted and destroyed on Saturday night over the Pacific ·ocean ernment, and Labor and Immi­ least five people milling outside who are investigating whether the separatist rebels in Zamboanga, by a "kill vehicle" fired from the Marshall Islands. The two launch gration Secretary Mark D. after being unable to watch a blast was caused by people who about 850 kilometers (520 miles) sites were 4,300 miles (6,880 kms) apart. musical show by a popular movie might have gotten mad after failing south of Manila, and in nearby Zachares is not too happy about idol due to a heavy crowd. to watch the show or other groups, Basilan province this year. Medicare to pay it. "After the successful repatria­ for low-fat diet tion of almost 700 illegal aliens, W ASIDNGTON (AP)-Medicare will pay forup to 1,800 elderly the (U.S.) Department of Justice Americans with severe heart disease to try Dr. Dean Ornish's attempted to satisfy the federal famous but radical ultra low-fat diet, to see if it could be an government's.obligation of more than $750,000 through a federal alternative to heart surgery. Under the pilot project, announced Friday, Medicare patients who grant with terms and conditions," have been told they will soon need bypass surgery or ari angioplasty said Zachares, in a letter sent to to clear clogged heart arteries can instead try the intensive diet-and­ Sen. Frank H. Murkowski (R­ Alaska). lifestyle program. Medicare will study the patients to see if the Ornish program is Murkowski has sought more medically effective and ifitcan save some of the more than $6 billion written testimony following the a year now spent on heart surgery by the nation's health care program Sept. 14hearing on his S. 1052 at the· Senate Energy and Natural for the elderly. Gov. Pedro ':'· Tenorio signs a procfamation declaring October 1999 as Retirement Fund Month in ceremonies attended by officials and staff of Resources Committee that he the NM/ Retirement Fund last week. · Passenger pulls gun chairs. "We find it unacceptable," said on Brazil bus, 3 die Zachares, "that the federal gov­ RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - A noisy bus rider got irked at ernment is not acting in good faith Teno takes 'hands-off' stance· on being told to quiet down and shot the city bus driver and other on its prior commitment for 100- passengers, sparking a firefight that left three people dead and eight percent reimbursement by plac­ wounded, Globo Network TV reported on Saturday. ing terms and conditions on how Robson Gualhardo Lucas, 28, had asked fourofhis passengers to the CNMI can utilize repayment selection of Fund administrator be quiet when one of them pulled a gun and opened fire on him and of the funds it expended on the other passengers, which provoked a return of gunfire inside the bus.