-, UNNERSITY OF HAWAII UBRAR'i., a~ian_as %riet~~ M1~ronesia's Leading Newspaper Since 1972 ~ ~ · Cing to Clinton: Lease us Teno delays chief Tinian land back for free By Zaldy Dandan Variety News Staff justice appointee SENATOR David M. Cing (D­ Tinian) is asking President By Ferdie de la Torre Clinton to allow the "free" re­ Variety News Staff turn of unneeded US military GOVERNOR Pedro Tenorio dis­ land on Tinian to CNMI con­ closed he may delay the nomina­ trol. tion of a new CNMI Chief Justice In a letter to the chief execu­ to enable government to save tive, Cing said that despite the somt money during these times "well established history of re­ of crisis. turning surplus land to the states ··Because of austerity measures, and to Guam free of charge," David M. Ging I might delay in nominating the the federal government has been chief justice in the Supreme asking the CNMI to "come up it over to the president. Court, .. Tenorio told the Variety with cold, hard cash to regain In the letter, Cing said the during signing ceremonies for the possession of lands" the US CNMI in the past paid the fed­ military no longer needs. eral government large sums of Department of Public Safety's Alexandro C. Castro Miguel S. Oemapan 3Ds proclamation. "I am calling on you, Mr. money to "buy back" land leased President, to remedy this ineq­ According to the governor, a belong to a higher salary level and reflection." from the commonwealth. uitable situation," Cing said in Cing said such "large outlays" postponement of the announce­ compared to judges of the Supe­ It was not clear yet whether it the letter. ment would not hamper opera­ rior Court. The current vacancy will be Associate Justice may have been inappropriate and Cing handed the letter to Inte­ tions of the high tribunal because in the high court bench could mean Alexandro Castro or Associate in violation of commonwealth the constitution allows the acting savings in payroll costs. Judge Miguel Demapan who will rior Department's Allen law. chief justice to appoint any judges Chief Justice Marty W. K. Tay­ assume the post as acting chief Stayman who was with Clinton He added, however, that "I in any US territory to se1ve in the lor recently informed the gover­ justice. during the latter's visit to Guam will not dwell on the fatter point panel as pro temp judges. nor that he is retiring effective Legal experts said that pursu- last week. He asked if the OIA at this time." director could personally hand Continuea on page 41 Justices of the Supreme Court next week "after much thought Continued on page 47 Smo)rers to dig deeper into their pockets soon •. By Eric F. Say Variety News Staff HAGATNA -- The newly signed $206 billion dollar tobacco settle­ ment will soon have smokers digging deeper into their pockets in order to enjoy the habit. It is estimated that the price of a pack of cigarettes will soon increase by 45 cents per pack to somehow compensate for the costs cigarette makers are to incur in settling U.S. states' claims for reimbursement for providing health care to sick smokers. Two of the nation's largest tobacco manufacturers, R.J. Reynolds and Philip Morris, have announced that they will be raisino their . b wholesale prices. No date, however, has been given. What that means for Guam smokers is that a p;ck of cigarettes may soon cost about $2.20-$2.50 per pack. In the CNMI, where a pack of cigarettes currently costs between $2. I 0-$2.75, an increase would widen the retail price disparity with Guam even more, although their price levels ar~ still substantially lower than the U.S. mainland's. The average price of cigarettes in the mainland is $3.50, according to tobacco analysts.But the increase may make the cost to buy a pack of smoke break the $4 mark. Continued on page 41 Program allows Filipinos to scnce. bring home their used cars ''!!e's okay and he'll be fine," By Louie C. Alonso could avail of the ND! if he has /\patang said. Variety News Staff resided in the CNMI for at least /\ two-time constitutional con­ THE PHILIPPINE Consulate on one year. vention delegate, Senate presi­ Saipan said yesterday Filipino Qua! ificd under the program arc dent, lieutenant governor, and workers in the CNMI who may left-hand drive vehicles not ex­ CNMI special 902 representative, want to bring their used vehicles ceeding 3,000 kilogrnms GVW Manglona is considered one of to the Philippines may do so eas­ and registered under the name of the commonwealth's founding ily through the No-Dollar Impor­ qualified importer for at least 6 fathers for his role in the negotia­ tation (NOi) program. months prior to the submission of tions leading to the signing of the "Filipinos arc usually attached the application to the Bureau of Covenant between the islands and to their belongings, we call it ·sen­ Import Sc1vices (BIS) in the Phil­ the US. In other Rota news, the island's timental value,"' Vice Consul ippines. Ronell B. Santos. A processi_ng fee of PI ,00~ for Continued on page 47 Benjamin T. Manglona Undcrthe program, the importer Continued on page 47 ,.PAC NEWSPAPER STACKS FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 27 , 1998 -MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VIEWS-3 FAS migration burdens DPH By Haidee V. Eugenio cal services at the hospital free of into the U.S. and other affiliated Variety News Staff Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio earlier charge. insular areas like Guam, Hawaii said for over 10 years now, the THE INCREASING migration of With a limited budget and and tbe CNMI. CNMI has never ceased to re­ citizens from the Federated States By CHRIS FONTAINE He first became prime minister ri ty organs, forced Ranariddh into steady influx of migrants, the "The number (of migrants) is quest the federal government for of Micronesia. Palau and PHNOMPEl\lI,Cambodia(AP) in 1985 at the age of 33, making a coalition agreement that made Department of Public Health quite high and we just have to Compacts funding, but to no avail. Marshalls to the CNMI have -Strongman Hun Sen. who seized him the world's youngest leader at the two rivals co-prime ministers. needs to receive funding from the address this. If there's going to be This despite the influx of FSM. largely contributed to the deple­ power in a coupd 'etat last year, can the time. Their uneasy partnership, which Compact of Free Association be­ Compact impact funds, the fed­ Palau and Marshalls citizens to tion of health-related resources. now boast of being his country's But Cold War politics denied Hun Sen dominated despite his tween the U.S. and the FSM.Palau eral government needs to realize the CNMI which has started to Health Sec. Joseph Kevin legal illld legitimate leader with his Hun Sen's government wide rec­ nominal status as junior partner, and Marshalls Islands, said that people migrating from FSM make a dent on the islilllds' re­ Villagomez said there have been appointment as prime minister by a ognition. He led a Communist re­ dissolved with last year's coup. Villagomez. are impacting on the health care sources, said the governor. a .. significant number·· of these royal decree announced Thursday. gime installed by the Vietnamese The prince fled Cambodia and Under the Compact, citizens here," Villagomez said in an in­ Villagomez said DPH cannot The appointment by King in 1979 after Hanoi invaded Cam­ citizens who migrate to the CNMI did not return until a few months from the FSM, Palau and the terview. turn away patients regardless of and have been availing of medi- Norodom Sihanouk, dated bodia and ousted the brutal Khmer before this year's election. Marshalls are allowed free entry The health chief pointed out their citizenship status even if the Wednesday. came four months af­ Rouge from power. Hun Sen' s Cambodian People's that the medicaid spent on the Joseph Kevin Villagomez hospital resources are already ter Hun Sen 's Cambodian People's With the United States, China Party narrowly won July parlia­ treatment of FSM migrants have scarce. Party won a plurality in parliamen­ and their allies supporting the mentary elections, but Guam's leaders plan also decreased and the CNMI does that money for medicaid from lo­ .. Anybody who come here in tary elections. Khmer Rouge, the United Nations Ranariddh and his opposition not have enough resources at this cal resources. That money can all the CNMl, and who gets sick, we Hun Sen had to allow longtime continued to recognize the Maoist ally Sam Rainsy, alleging wide­ time to match the fund. be used for those living here. We do not deny them medical ser­ rival Prince Norodom Ranariddh. guenillas as the legitimate leaders spread fraud and intimidation for territory's future The medicaid is a federal grant can't put a lot of those money vices. The hospital is for every­ leaderof the royalist FUNCINPEC of Cambodia. during the polls, refused to al­ which needs a dollar-for-dollar from people of FSM who some­ body and it will always be like party. to become president of the After the withdrawal of the low the two-thirds vote in par­ By Jacob Leon Guerrero match. bow do not contribute to that 50 that. national assembly in order to win Vietnamese from the country, liament needed to approve a new Variety News Staff "We are getting 50 percent of percent," said Villagomez.