arianas '-variety;~ l Micronesia's Leading Newspaper Since 1972 . b&,\llew5 .. 1 :-:.o.26No:.:155: .. ·.·.;:_·.-.·. :.::::-,::'_\";.' ·. ·. ·,-i:,: ·· ·,;.-:·.i.·-··. - -'.· .. .,.:- . : . , ... .-.·::•.:.:?,._ .. · · .' ·.· · :,,,,.··-·,,,1, ... ,....... ,, ..• ,..... ,-·,-···"--· ..... v ... ii, ©1.998 M''a·r'1a··nas"va· r··,et'y ,' :· ·,.: ·:, .. ·... : ·..- .. ·.,,. ·,' ;'" :·' )Sainan;"MP"96950-\>:::,j:1 ·!1· ',;\i1 ~• •• ..1 ..,fi',· .,., ....... , ..~·,,· .Fr1clay .. , ,.~.. • ·.·oc·· _ ·10· be•-•·;·. 16;, -,.,:.19·9,a· . ·::· :···. ..'' ·, ,.>, :_,} .•.•rt, >:;,~,,.,. .....1 , r ,..... 1 1 :,• . ,., ·,' ,, .• ,., .. -, ,, .. ·:'. ,' ,.•.·}. ,,\ - \ ' ·:··,,-; ' ,: • ' -·' _.... ;,_ ., ,.,,: .•.,,'',·,r·· .. ~:---·.' ; '·" .. · •..•.•. '-, .. : ,, ,,, ·. ·"' ·. ,·'. .• _ l;a ..,, . ' . ,... Serv··,·n''g"'CNMI 10·-r-·2a Ve'·a-r'·s''''·)' ' i ,,.~'W .. ... , " ' ,,., , ................ ;.1.,.1, 4, ,• .......... ~'?..,.,'·;-:/',' .~· .., i-..1.:..~·. i,: "',ii .;L .•,J~:-1.;t ··~,:..·:-· .,,!., ::,, ·'.,, .~~: · .. r :.' .... " , . ,' ·!J:. t-·... ,; ... :.i:il.. 'f.":~' . 'l!I i ·-- ----·-------~-:._______ ] 111 Teno looks at more areas to cut costs 1, i ~i~ch~ll: Ninth Circuit has no l :Junsd1ct1on 9ver Art. 12 cases I court, which he said should "re- \ tiree bonus, assert its rightful role as the court oflastresort" in Article 12cases. i "This does not involve a fed- \ era! law or a federal issue. And \ if this court's. authority on this ; issue can be nullified by three pay hike eyed (federal) judges in San Fran­ By Haidee V. Eugenio At the same time, Tenorio said cisco, then it's in plain violation Variety News Staff he wants the legislature to sus­ of the Covenant," he said, refer­ GOVERNOR Pedro P. Tenorio pend the implementation of Pub­ .ring to the federal law that es­ yesterday said he favors the tem­ lic Law 8-30, which gives 30 per­ tablished the CNMI in political porary suspension of the granting cent retirement bonus. union with the US. of the 30 percent retirement bo­ "The legisiature have to come 'This is manifest injustice," nus and the five percent annual up with that. Originally I thought Theodore R. Mitchell Mitchell said. increase in employees' salary. that the retirement bonus is good Opposing counsel John F. By Zaldy Dandan Biehl. however, warned that''le- The chief executive earlier only for one year to encourage Variety News Staff asked the Department of Finance people to retire. Unfortunately, it LA WYER Theodore R gal anarchy" will result if the and the Office of Management continues every year," he re­ · CNMI's highest court rules in Mitchell is again urging the favor of Mitchell, who is also marked. and Budget to meet with the mem­ . Supreme Court to "ignore" the facing $26,000 sanction for fil- The finance and budget offices bers of the Legislature to come up US Ninth Circuit Court of Ap- ingwhat theSuperiorCou1tcalls with suggestions on the repeal of also sought the temporary halt to Pedro P. Tenorio peals' decision involving, this a "frivolous" appeal. some laws that might further de­ the passage of H.B. 11-289 and time, a 1986 land transaction Biehl represents Diana C. "If we continue to increase sal­ plete the .government's coffers S.B. 11-86. The former bill seeks that he says violated the CNMI Fe1Teira whose husband Frank, ary, there's a possi bi Ii ty thatthere I until the economy gets better. to provide lump sum·salary bonus Constitution's Article 12. during 1980-86, allegedly ac- I will be reduction in (personnel). Among the laws that might be for civil service employees, while Mitchell said the federal court quired all of the San Roque prop- j It's unfair to see people continue suspended is that which gives an the latter seeks to grant tax credit is "usurping" the proper func- erty of the Mafnas sisters- ! to receive increase and later on, . annual five percent salary increase for companies establishing schol- , tions of the CNMI's highest Continued on page34 / to government employees. they will be out of job," he said. Continued on page 5 ·-----------------·------------··------·------------------·-----·----·' Zachares: SGMA not helping i - DOLI probe on Kobler raid illegal apparel processing activ­ ity discovered at a Koblerville cardboard box factory two weeks ago. · Speaking before representa­ tives of the Saipan Garment Manufacturers Association (SGMA), Zachares warned he will "apply the law to the fullest extent against all parties" in­ volved once the probe of the matter is completed. '\ . "At this point," ZachareS\(old the SG MA officials, "the q,tpo­ Mark Zachares y·,r· ration that may be involved in By Jojo Dass this, or the people that may be Variety News Staff involved are backing me into a LABOR and Immigration Sec­ comer right now and I would retary Mark Zachares yesterday have no otheroption butto refer lamented the lack of support this for criminal prosec~tion." from the garment sector in his "lam telling you," he stressed, department's efforts to identify "I am getting back into a corner tho~ tesponsible for the alleged Continued on page 35 GovGuam Medicare payments start ·Efforts to contain blaze at By Jojo Santo Tomas It was only when GovGuam Administration. Malojloj hardfill continue Variety News Staff was researching health care op­ 4Reidy said a decision has yet By Tanya M.C. Mendiola ·at the Jnarajan Mayor's Office. HAGATNA-Thousands of tions that they came across the to be reached on whether Guam The hardfill began burning last will have to make any back Variety News Staff GovGuam workers will feel the problem, which stems well be­ HAGATNA-The Southern Re­ week, possibly due to spontane­ yond the current administration. payments, which could easily crunch of yet another deduc­ gional Medical Center remains ous combustion, said officials. The deduction is 1.45 percent reach in the millions of dollars. tion on their paychecks this open to treat residents with pos­ Although the fire is ongoing, ofanemployee'sgrosspay, which "We've been in communi­ week as GovGuam begins sible health problems due 'to the efforts to extingui~h it have con­ cation with them (IRS)," Reidy . Medicare payments. is matched by GovGuam. For an emissions at .the· Malojloj tinued. Governor Carl T.C. employee that makes $1,000 a said. "We remain optimistic I_ Department of Administra­ hardfill. Gutierrez has declared a state of paycheck, $14.50 is deducted, that they will not charge us tor Director Michael Reidy said : · A command post has recently emergency .for the area. matched by GovGuam and paid what we owe." this is a deduction that should : been set up, staffed by the Guam . GEPAspokesperson Grace to the Internal Revenue Service. Reidy said that although pro­ have been addressed years ago, j Environmental.· ·Protection· Garces .said field instruments 111e Medicare program is ad­ visions will have to be made" in but the payments were not :· ~gency, the. Goaip Fire Depart~. from the UnitedStatesAirForce ministered by the Social Security Continued on page 5 made. ·merit arid C_ivil Defense, located ... ·.. · con~lr1uiid:. on page 35 · •• -~--: .• "" -:: ." .!• .... .'}: ,,.,;;_ . '., :. ', : f-'AC Nt:WSPAPER STACKS FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16, 1998 -MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VIEWS-3 Singapore visit a ----~·---- ----- boost for Estrada DOLi metes Lin, U.I.C. fine him." By Ferdie de la Torre few months ago. employees) who worked at his E.~u·ada·s four-day visit st;u1cd on Variety News Staff DOU documents showed that construction site, plus concur­ Sunday with a musing welcome from THE DEPARTMENT of Labor at the Oct. 6 Labor hearing, Lin rent fines of $500 for his two filipinos working in Singapore. and Immigration has ordered and UIC, through counsel Steve violations or for a total fine of most! y maids mid consU11ction work­ Saipan Garment Manufacturers Nutting, took a position similar to $10,500. l'l"S. Association president] a mes Lin a nolo contrndere (no contest) Asper on the other hand, lk wc!ll on to meet Singa1xm:·s and tiis garment factory to pay plea in response to the allegations said UIC should pay $500 for lc:1de1a mid Singapore ;u1d Filipino $16,500 in fine for Labor law brought against them. each of its I I alien workers busim,ss cxccutives and made a violations. Lin and UIC neither admitted who performed unauthorized sideui p to a ne,u·by lndonesim1 isl.u1d Labor Hearing Office Super­ or denied the allegations, but did labor at Lin's construction to sec Indonesian President B.J. visor Linn H. Asper asked Lin not contest the imposition of fines site, plus $500 for the viola­ Habibic. and the United International for the violations, except as to the tion itself or for a total fine of B usincssmcn at home and abroad Corporation to pay $10,500 and amount, according to DOLI $6,000. Joseph Estrada had been sceptical of the capabilities $6,000 fine respectively within records. Lin, as head of the association's of the movie actor turned president 30 days. Linn H. Asper DOU was prepared to offer •James Lin 33 garment factory members, By Azlin Ahmad :md his programmes. Asper, however, did not bar proof to support the notices of reportedly announced last April Sl\'GAPORE (Reuters)-Philip­ But he uiggen:d astamlingovation Lin or UIC from employing non­ DOU operatives arrested sev­ violation in the two cases, but was Asper in the administrative or­ thatthismonthistheassociation 's pines PresidentJ oscph Eso·ada 's fil;;t aftera kej110te speech at the EastAsia The South Korean-registered freighter Chun II sits on reef after running aground in waters off the resident workers in the CNMI eral illegal alien laborers who were not required to do so following der said Lin should be fined $500 self-imposed deadline to correct slate visit abroad has helped boost his Economic Summit - a gathe1ing of southwestern tip of Shikoku, western Japan Thursday. The Japanese coastguard said an oil slick was formed as no request for such action allegedly found working at Lin's respondents' .. no contest" posi­ for each of the 20 unauthorized labor problems in the garment credibility.