UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII LIBRARY' arianas %riety;;~ Micronesia's Leading Newspaper Since 1972 ~ ews orkers stage st e By Jojo Dass Hundreds ofSablan Const. workers complain of delays in wages lyze the firm's operation. Variety News Staff Niedo failed to give any assur­ ABOUT 200 employees of a big to 200 marched to the firm's main of unfair labor practices against meeting of sec officials con­ ance that all delayed paychecks local construction firm yesterday office in San Antonio and went on the firm at the Department of La­ cluded later in the day, said only a will immediately be issued as de­ went on a day-long work stop­ a ·'sit-down strike" the whole bor and Immigration. fraction of the entire 500-man manded by the workers. page to protest delayed paychecks. morning as the stand-off with Juanito Niedo, the firm's per­ strong workforce participated in He explained that payments will The workers, refusing to be in­ management began at 8:00 am. sonnel manager, in a phone inter­ the strike. rely almost entirely on "col­ dividually identified for fear of They later on lodged complaints view shortly after a closed door He said the strike failed to para- lectibles" from the firm's clients, reprisal, vowed to continue their most of which are comprised of mass action today if the manage­ different CNMI government ment of Sablan Construction Co. agencies. fail to release ··at least three pay­ "The paychecks will be re­ checks covering six weeks of leased if we manage to make a work" for each of them. good collection ... our accounting The delays in the issuance of division is now working on this," paychecks, they said, have been he said. going on since December last year. "Most of our clients are from "We've decided to stop work­ the government sector. It's a chain ing ... we don't have money any­ reaction, if the clients failed to more to sustain ourselves," said pay on time, we likewise fail to one of the workers. pay our workers on time," he ex­ The day-long strike was re­ plained. portedly the first thus far in the Delayed issuance of the work­ construction sector. ers' paychecks, it was gathered, is El wood Mott, Local 5 spokes­ prevalent among some firms be­ person, said the union will will­ longing to the construction sector ingly accept the workers should as full payments for work done they decide to affiliate with his are usually made long after the labor group. project has been completed. "Right now, they are still con­ The firm, he said, currently has templating on whether to join or five ongoing projects. not," he said. ALL WORK, NO PAY? Part of the estimated 200 workers employed with Sablan Construction Co. who These include the road improve­ sec workers, numbering close claimed they've been running on empty due to the firm's failure to issue paychecks on time. Photo by JoJo Dass Continued on page 24 Villanueva testifies Senate said likely to reject Willens By Ferdie de la Torre was called by his counsel Anto­ By Zaldy Dandan judge," Manglona said. Variety News Staff nio M. Atalig to take the witness Variety News Staff He added that the CNMI, THE SUSPECT in the killing of stand in the Superior Court. THE Senate is likely to reject the particularly in an election year, a woman in Koblerville said Villanueva, 47, reportedly a nomination of Howard Willens needs a special judge who can yesterday he was "wronged" by lawyer himself, testified in sup­ as special judge. make fair decisions on politi­ police officers who allegedly port of his motion to suppress Senate Vice President Paul A. cal issues. forced him to "strip" inside the the body search conducted by Manglona (R-Rota) yesterday said "We need someone who police station the day he was police officers on him as among the Senate Committee on Execu­ doesn't appear to be leaning to arrested. the pieces of evidence in the tive Appointment and Govern­ one political group," he said. He also claimed he was "forc­ case. mental Investigation (EAGI), of A nominee may be highly ibly" questioned by an officer The defendant stated that po­ which he is the vice chair, has qualified for the job, Manglona without the benefit of counsel. lice officers arrested him from been getting "negative feedback" added, but he should also in­ "I was scared. I was concerned his farm in As Gono last Jan. 27 from "concerned citizens" claim­ spire confidence from the for my safety. I was forced to at about 3 p.m. ing that Willens is "too political." people he 'II serve. comply with the order to take off "They (police officers) never "They're saying that Willens Manglona said those lobby­ my shirt," said Antonio read any of my constitutional has been too involved in local ing forthe rejection of Willens' Pangelinan Villanueva when he Continued on page 24 Howard Willens. politics to make an impartial Continued on page 24 Challenging Teno eligibility political suicide-- Borja By Zaldy Dandan former governor Tenorio from the Variety News Staff forthcoming elections, the Repub- CHALLENGING Pedro P. 1ican candidate's supporters Tenorio' s eligibility to seek a third would instead vote for Gov. term as governor would be "po­ Froilan C. Tenorio. litical suicide," according to the "They might support (the gov­ campaign committee of the Borja­ ernor) probably because they Sablan Independent ticket. might be angry at me (for chal­ Acting Gov.Jesus C. Borja yes­ lenging the former governor's terday said his committee has ad­ candidacy)," Borja said. vised him to further "lay low" on Asked ifhe will no longer ques­ the issue, citing the political re­ tion the former governor's eligi­ percussions involved. bility, Borja saiq "I'm not saying Borja said his committee be­ we won't challenge (his candi­ lieves that if they succeed in con­ dacy)," adding that he will "first vincing the court to disqualify Continued on page 24 Jesus C. Borja l'll.cL >•·Ju l..\J5Ffl' s:fudt.; ·•< · · · · · · · · · · · · · 2-MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VIEWS-WEDNESDAY- JULY 16, 1997 WEDNESDAY, JULY 16, 1997-MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VIEWS-3 Korea food ta]ks set ___ 8.5M error e lained SEOUL,South Korea (AP)- North posed that Red Cross ofticials from million, will be completed by the end food aid for its bitter enemy. 'The two that the North allow reunions for By Ferdie de la Torre Aug. 1, 1995, rather, it describes Krnea on Tuesday accepted a South both Koreas meet either at the l:x:irder of this mond1. Koreas are still technically at war millions of families separated by the Variety News Staff Hillblom estate executor cites ambiguity in report advances made to Danao, which Korean proposal for new Red Cross villageofPanmunjomorsomewhere The United States announced a since no peace treaty was signed at Korean conflict LARRY Hillblom's estate executor were converted to a "note pay­ talks on additional food aid to the in the South on July 22. new shipment of 100,00J metric tons the end of their 1950-53 war. Huge floods in l 995 and last year Bank of Saipan denied the existence fundingofHillblom 'sDanaoprojects from the estate to Danae as of Sept executor's report filed in the Superior able." 1eclusive communist country, which South Korea wants to establish a of grain worth about $ 27 million to South Korea says that if Red Cross have aggravated chronic food shrnt­ of an $8.5 million note \Yhich was in Vietnam, it was found there is no 1995 consisted of an $8.5 million Court Monday. The executor apologizes for any is on the biink of famine. channel for dialogue inside the Ko­ keep the N01th 's children and elderly officials meet again, it will demand ages in North Korea allegedly payable to the estate_ such note. advance made piior to Hillblom's The lawyer stated that it appears grammatical ambiguity in the word­ But the North insisted dmt the two rean peninsula, buttheNorthhaslong from starving. It is in addition to$ 25 The executor, through counsel Jacob in ilieexecutor's report filed death, a $7 million aqvance from the thatKaelaniKinney bases her claim ing of its report, he added. sides meet in Beijing on July 23, refused to recognize the Seoul gov­ million in surplus food Washington Rodney J. Jacob, said after reviewing · in the Superior Court Monday ex­ estatemadeonJuly24, 1995anda$3 that there is an $8.5 million note on David J. Lujan, courisel for rather than holding talks at the border ernment, calling it a U.S. puppet re­ sent.to NorthKoreaearlierin d1eyear. the financial records regarding the plained that the $18.5 million loan million advance from the estate on misreading the executor's Vietnam Kinney, has sought an explanation orin the Soudl, the South Korean Red gime. Thenewdonationcameinresponse Japan to strengthen Sept 11,1995. project report, which uses the term as to the circumstances of such Cross Society said. In May, both sides met in Beijing to a U.N. appeal last week for$ 45.7 The first$8.5 million advance was "note payable" as a noun to de­ note. The Red Cross said it was study­ and agreed on providing 50,00J tons mi Ilion in new food aid. initially recorded on the l:x:ioks of scribe amounts owed by Danae to Lujan expressed concern about ing the North's counterproposal. of food, mostly corn, to the North. The South Korean government so defense, says report .Borja not keen over Danao as an equity contribution, and the estate.