DURING a public hearing on Tuesday evening in the Senate chamber, the Committees on Resources, Economic Development, and Programs, and Judiciary, Government, Law, and Federal Relations heard testimonies from private citizens regarding Senate Legislative Initiative 22-1, which is a proposal to amend Article XII of the CNMI Constitution.
Introduced by Senate President Jude U. Hofschneider, the legislative initiative would remove the restriction on the alienation of land in the CNMI to allow NMD landowners to fully exercise their real property rights, and to reduce the NMD percentage of ownership interest in the Northern Marianas Descent Corp.
A legislative initiative must be passed by the affirmative vote of three-fourths of the members of each house present and voting. It cannot be vetoed by the governor, but it must be approved by voters.
During the public hearing, several private citizens, both young and old, either expressed their support or opposition to S.L.I. 22-1.
Some say that although many NMDs tend to leave the islands for greater opportunities, they still desire to return home.
However, they added, there may not be a home for them to return to if lands are sold to foreign investors.
They said land should remain in the hands of the indigenous people, lest they become like the indigenous people of Guam, Hawaii, and America who are now “fighting to take back their land.”
Patricia Seman Rasa, the spouse of one of the CNMI’s late founding fathers, former Speaker Oscar C. Rasa, asked Hofschneider, “What were you thinking?”
She said Article XII was designed to protect NMDs and inherit their ancestral lands.
Dr. Isa Arriola, for her part, also provided testimony and submitted testimonies from various individuals, including members of the nonprofit organization Our Common Wealth 670.
Welling up in tears, Arriola said, “When the economy crashes and all else fails, all that we have is land. It’s the only constant and the only guarantee. We know that. It’s not just a piece of property; it’s who we are. Let us not be deceived into thinking that this is anything else but giving up who we are.”
Another private citizen, Vincent Seman Aldan, spoke heatedly during his testimony and ripped a copy of S.L.I. 22-1, which he left at the podium before walking out of the Senate chamber.
Other private citizens who support amending Article XII said landowners should have the right to do as they please with their land.
One private citizen, Maureen Coleman, said that the issue should be put to a vote in the elections so that the CNMI people can decide.
The Senate Judiciary, Government, Law, and Federal Relations Committee is chaired by Sen. Karl King-Nabors and consists of Senate Floor Leader Vinnie Sablan as vice chair, Senate Vice President Justo Quitugua, Sen. Francisco Cruz and Sen. Victor Hocog as members.
They and Sen. Edith Deleon Guerrero also serve on the Senate Resources, Economic Development, and Programs Committee, which is chaired by Senate Vice President Justo Quitugua.
The Senate Committees on Resources, Economic Development, and Programs, and Judiciary Government, Law, and Federal Relations conducted a joint public hearing on Tuesday in the Senate chamber.
Photo by K-Andrea Evarose S. Limol