, UNlVERSIT.'( Of_!lAWAll Ll6RAR.Y arianas %riet~~ Micronesia's Leading Newspaper Since 1972 ~ ·ews atsea By Ferdie de la Torre hours later, said the EMO spokes­ He added that the family mem­ Variety News Staff person. bers, relatives and friends are still SEARCH and rescue operations McCormick Mettao, 37, told hoping Nicanor, a former seaman, are ongoing for a 62-year-old man the Variety that his father Nicanor is still alive. who was reported missing at sea was dropped by his · Ada said the EMO and Boating since Tuesday. (McCormick's) cousin to go fish­ Safety rescue boats--the Chal­ As of yesterday afternoon, the ing at the beach in Garapan near lenger Junior and McKee, assisted search for Nicanor M. Mettao of the Benavente Building about by four jetskis and two civilian Chalan Kiya continued, accord­ 10:30 a.m. boats--conducted a quarter mile­ ing to Emergency Management McCormick said Nicanorasked long search at sea. Office spokesperson Rose Ada. that he be picked up at 3 to 3:30 The boats and jetskis were drag­ Ada said personnel from EMO p.m. on the same day near the ging surface divers while Macaw and the Department of Public Japanese Tank in Chalan LauLau. Helicopter is sweeping the reef Safety's Boating Safety began the "We waited until 4:30p.m. yes­ area, Ada added. search and rescue operations late terday but he didn't show up: We Since January, eight to I I per­ Tuesday at I 0:30 p.m. ending at 3 returned again Tuesday Relatives pray for their missing family member, 62-year-old Nicanor sons have been believed to have a.m. yesterday. It resumed three night... "McCormick said. Mettao who went fishing and did not return at Garapan. Photo by LAIi, c. Younlo : Continued on page 20 Wonenberg nominated as Ten-year phase~in period mulled with US takeover new secretary for DLNR By Mar-Vic C. Munar and labor system continues to fail Variety News Staff because of the CNMI's "unwill­ By Zaldy Dandan acting secretary. background in fisheries and the THE CLINTON administration ingness" to change its basic im­ Variety News Staff After resigning 'from the Arts environment, but "farmers were is recommending a transition plan migration, minimum wage and DESCRIBING her as "ex­ Council last year, Wonenberg. complaining that they were ne­ that would allow nonresident garment manufacturing policies. tremely qualified," Gov. Froilan served as Saipan M.ayor Jesus S. glected when (Sablan)" was at workers to stay in the CNMI for The Department of Interior C. Tenorio yesterday named DL Guerrero's budget represen­ DLNR. IO more years even after the Im­ transmitted to Congress yester­ Margarita DLG. Wonenberg as tative. Sablan is now the running migration and Naturalization day a copy of the report on the the new Lands and Natural Re­ The mayor is Tenorio's run­ mate of Lt. Gov. Jesus C. Borja, Service stepped in. Initiative. sources secretary. ning mate in the November elec­ who is running against Tenorio. The extension of immigration The initiative, which this year If her appointment pushes tions. Tenorio said "everyone ex­ law in the CNMI along with local was funded with $3 million, was through, the 34-year old Basis pected that I appoint an engi­ wage federalization and the scrap­ established by Public Law 103- Wonenberg, will become the Asked why he chose neer for the Department of Pub­ ping of the CNMI's duty and 332 and was aimed at correcting first woman to head the Lands Wonenberg, who holds an A.B. lic Works, but (Eddie M. DL quota-free export privilege were pertinent problems in the CNMI. and Natural Resources Depart­ degree in English Literature, to Guerrero who is not an engi­ the main recommendations made No green cards ment (DLNR). head DLNR, Tenorio said he ap­ neer) is doing a damn good job by the administration in its Third The first two formal federal Wonenberg's appointment is points his secretaries "on the ba­ over there." Annual Report on the CNMI-Fed­ takeover proposals were made by subject to Senate confirmation, sis of whether he or she could do A department secretary, he eral Initiative on Labor, Immigra­ California Rep. George Miller, but Tenorio said the former Arts the job." said, should be a "little bit po­ tion and Law Enforcement. and, later, President Clinton him­ Council executive director will Tenorio said the previous sec­ litical" and must have good pub­ In proposing the federal take­ self. begin performing her duties as retary, Benigno M. Sablan, has Continued on page 20 over, the administration noted that These proposals have triggered the CNMI's current immigration Continued on page 20 King was 'never injail;' woman not to press case By Laila C. Younis Variety News Staff THE WOMAN who called· in police last Monday alleging she was assaulted by Sen. Esteven M. King will not press charges against the Tinian lawmaker. Maria Dosalua, said to be King's girlfriend, has formally requested the Attorney General's Office to drop all complaints that stemmed from a domestic dispute that occurred early Monday morning. Esteven King "The information given by the Tinian Department of Pub- - In an interview yesterday, - -------- ------ -----------.,.-- THURSDAY, JULY 24, 1997 -MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VIEWS-3 Interior official's descrivtion of the CNMI: - A i KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia Out~ide the conference hall, :l 'It's a car beyond repair' (AP) - 1l1e Association of Southe,L,t group of demonstrators protested Asi,m Nationsexp,mded to nine mem­ ASEAN 's decision to admit Burma, By Mar-Vic C. Munar tion system is like an old broken Insular Affairs deputy director with his neighbors and relatives, ocrs Wednesday with the admission citing its human lights record. The Variety News Staff car that is beyond repair thus a Ferdinand "Danny" Aranza said who are starting to· complain of L.:1os :md Bmma. !,'fOUp was limited to four people THE CNMI' s labor and immigra- need for replacement, Office of -yesterday. loudly about it," Aranza said re­ Caml:xxlia. which w:1, due to join occause of a Malaysian law mat says Aranza submitted to the CNMI ferring to the negative press which the 30-ye,u--old ASEAN regional me assembly of five or more people government a copy of the Third the CNMI gets for unabated re­ grouping at the s,m,e time. was left without police pcnnission is illegal. Annual Report on the Federal­ ports of labor abuses. out occause of the political chaos in "Whatever technicality kept Cam­ Cing wants TCGCC CNMI Initiative on Labor, Immi­ Aranza said that while the local the wake of a coup by Second P11.:­ lxx.lia out should obviously apply to gration and Law Enforcement and federal governments both ac­ mier Hun Sen. Burma," said Edith Mirante, an to have own budget three hours after it was transmit­ knowledge the existence of prob­ '1l1is is a !.mdm,u"k event in the Ame1icanmemberofProjectMaje,a ted to Congress yesterday. lems, the two parties have "dis" history of ASEAN.'.' InJonesi,m For­ Bum1ese information project. By Zaldy Danclan the Senate Committee on Executive "The administration's report agreements in the approach" to eign Minister Ali Alatastokl the audi­ Malaysian Foreign Minister Variety News Staff Appointment and Governmental In­ basically says that the system here solving them. ence. gathered in a tlowcr-bed,xked Alxlullah Ahmad Badawi, the cur­ SENA10RDavidMCingyesterday vestigation to oonduct an investiga­ is broken and can't be fixed de­ Like a car with a "crooked steer­ hall at the L.:1, Veg,L,-styk: Sunway rent ASEAN chai1man, expressed asked the House Ways and Means tion. spite the best intentions, con­ ing column," Aranza said, the Lagoon Rcson Hotel. ··we :m; now the gmup's disappointment that it Committee to appropriate $3 million This was followed by Mayor scientious efforts and collabo­ CNMI is turning on the opposite but a singk step away from ASEAN w,L, not able to embrace all IO South­ fa-me Tmian gaming oommission's Manglona 's "requesting" the com­ rative work of CNMI and fed­ Ferdinand "Danny" Aranza direction "of where its owners I O."hc said in 1c:fe1c:nce to the Jrcam east Asi:m nations in it~ 30tl1,mnive1:­ fiscal year 19')8 bud get missioners to resign by July 31. eral officials," Aranza said, ex­ CNMI'ssystemto"owninga 1976 originally intended it to go." of uniting all IO Southc:1.,t Asi,m saiy year. Cing (D-Tinian), in a letter to At least one of the commission­ plaining the Clinton Ford Pinto." '.'The local government believes nations in one grouping. ··But for ,m unfo1tunate tum of committee chair Ana S. Teregeyo ers, however, commission vice administration's move to rec­ "You can spend a lot money it can continue to work in partner­ ··1 1c:main hop;:ful thm tl1e admis­ events·· it would have ocen mree (R-Saipan) and vice chair Jesus T. chair Antonio S. Borja, said he has ommend a federal takeover of and hire.a lot of mechanics to try ship with the federal govemm1c:nt, sion of Caml:xxlia ,L, a full memocr counuicsjoining Wednesday, he said. Attao (R-Saipan), said the com­ done nothing wrong and will not the CNMI's labor and immi­ and fix it, but in the end it's prob­ but we believe there is a need to will take place in the not-too-distant "It is with disappointment and regret mission "critically needs seed resign. gration control. (See related ably better to let it go and get change the system," Aranza said.