After 14 months of providing the CNMI's first free online political news, PN WebCo. (parent company of Politics Now) is considering the possibility of venturing into the print media competition.

Launched in January 2005 under the original name of Political Blurbs, the internet-base news outlet was intended to serve as the CNMI's complete coverage of the 2005 general election.

Just before the election last November, Political Blurbs was acquired by PN WebCo. and underwent a reorganization. Thus, the new management christened the reorganized company under the its present name, Politics Now, and adopted the slogan: "Crafting our Future. One vote at a time."

The original intent was to shutdown the web-based newsline after the post-election activities. However, PN WebCo. started to receive numerous emails from patrons requesting the company to continue its operations well after the post-election activities. The website gained popularity through its PN Crossfire interactive forum --- where visitors can post their own discussions as well as reply to other visitors' postings.

Over the course of its first year in operation, the web-based company is now considering entering the print competition. If this plan pushes through, Politics Now will be the fourth newspaper in the CNMI. However, PN's concentration will revolve around political issues during campaign season and around governmental issues throughout the rest of the year.

Amid the government's current financial crisis, the Fitial administration is seriously looking at shutting down the Guam and Hawaii liaison offices in hopes of reducing government expenditures.

Should this move be implemented, the Guam and Hawaii offices will solely become Medical Referral Centers as earlier hinted by Health Secretary Joseph Kevin Villagomez. The closure of the liaison offices looks to save the government some money as it would eliminate the need for liaison officers and other personnel employed for liaison activities.

Medical Referral services will not be disrupted as funding for the program is derived from the Department of Public Health's budget. According to a source close to the decision-making table, this would mean that all Medical Referral employees based in Guam and Hawaii will report to either the Medical Referral Manager in Saipan or the DPH Secretary.

Shortly after inauguration, Gov. Benigno R. Fitial appointed defeated Covenant Party Rota senatorial candidate Jovita M. Taimanao to serve as Liaison Officer of the Marianas/Guam Liaison Office. For the Hawaii office, there still has not been any official communication released by the administration, but PN WebCo. learned that Grace R. Babauta had already begun working as Liaison Officer. The same source indicated that the administration has not made a formal announcement pending the completion of her contract routing.

Inside information indicates that the two liaison officers will be recalled to Saipan upon the dissolution of the liaison offices in Guam and Hawaii. The administration is also considering the feasibility of opening up only one liaison office to be situated in the west coast or the northwestern side of the US mainland in an effort to service a wider range of constituents.

In back to back sessions, both houses of the 15th legislature approved legislation that called for the abolishment of the Marianas Public Lands Authority and the dissolution of the controversial board of directors. Immediately after the sessions, Gov. Benigno R. Fitial enacted the measure into Public Law 15-2, effective placing the MPLA and its board in the history books.

For more details on the MPLA abolition, click here

In other news, Gov. Benigno R. Fitial has nominated four individuals to serve of the Board of Professional Licensing.

They are real estate appraiser Mitchell Aaron; civil engineer Roy Reyes; public lector Jose A. Songsong; and Remedio Buniag, representative of the women sector.

Aaron was recently the victim of the now former MPLA board. His contract as Appraisal Reviewer for the MPLA was not renewed allegedly because of his participation in the Transition Committee for the public lands agency. It was this committee that recommended the abolition of the MPLA.

Remedio Buniag is an employee of the Governor's Office under the Special Assistant for Administration. She is the mother of recently appointed Scholarship Office Administrator, Merissa Seman. 

Acting a day ahead of schedule, the 15th Senate body approved the nominations of seven cabinet appointments. They become the first batch of "confirmed" cabinet members of the Fitial Administration.

Pursuant to the Senate's approval, Matthew Gregory is now the Attorney General for the Commonwealth; Mathilda Rosario is Director of Office of Personnel Management; Secretary of Labor is Gil M. San Nicolas; Former Secretary of Health Joseph Kevin P. Villagomez returns to the helm of the health department; Jose S. Demapan is Secretary of Public Works; Daisy Villagomez-Bier becomes the first woman to become Secretary of the Department of Community and Cultural Affairs; and defeated Covenant candidate Gonzalo Q. Santos is Executive Director of the Indigenous Affairs Office.

Only Dr. Ignacio Dela Cruz remains acting Secretary of Department of Lands and Natural Resources. The senate did not act on his nomination because he is currently off-island.

Facing the EAGI Committee on Tuesday with his youngest daughter seated beside him, Acting Secretary of Labor Gil M. San Nicolas vowed to bring about much need change to clean up the inequities of the Department of Labor.

Governor Benigno R. Fitial tapped San Nicolas to head the labor department shortly before inauguration day. San Nicolas has been with the Department of Labor for the past 18 years and, if confirmed, will become the first rank-and-file employee to have risen from the entry level position to a cabinet post. Through the years, San Nicolas has held management posts in Labor that include being Supervisor, Director of Labor during the Teno/Pepero Administration, and Deputy Director of Labor for the past four years.

San Nicolas was also this administration's transition chairman for the Department of Labor.

The EAGI panel unanimously endorsed San Nicolas' nomination and is confident that the full senate body will officially confirm his appointment on Friday.

Beginning last week, the Senate Committee on Executive Appointments and Governmental Investigations began the confirmation hearings for cabinet nominees of the Fitial administration.

The EAGI Chairman, Sen. Henry H. San Nicolas has said that all the panel's endorsements will become official when the full senate body convenes on Friday, February 24th.

Among the first group to face the Senate panel were, Acting Secretary of Health Joseph Kevin P. Villagomez, Acting Director of OPM Mathilda A. Rosario, Acting Secretary of the Department of Lands and Natural Resources Dr. Ignacio Dela Cruz, and Acting Secretary of Public Works Jose S. Demapan.

Villagomez, the brother of Lt. Gov. Tim Villagomez, also served as public health secretary under then Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio from 1998 to 2002. He was the first to appear before the panel. The Acting Health Secretary vowed to explore all avenues to cut costs and streamline the department to eliminate duplication of duties.

The EAGI committee expressed its unanimous support for Villagomez and the three other nominees after asking a laundry list of difficult questions pertaining to the departments that they will oversee.

It almost been a month since the inauguration of Gov. Benigno R. Fitial and Lt. Gov. Timothy P. Villagomez, and the administration's nominees for Cabinet and other key posts have yet to undergo senate confirmation.

The confirmation hearings for affected appointees will be set by the Senate Committee on Executive Appointments and Government Investigations. Sen. Henry San Nicolas serves as chairman of the proverbial EAGI Committee. Last week, the chairman informed all Cabinet appointees to prepare for their confirmation hearings.

However, as of yesterday, there are no known reports as to the scheduled date, if any, for the said hearings.

The Cabinet appointees have been serving in an acting capacity since inauguration day. However, they are hesitant to implement much needed changes until such times that they are confirmed by the senate.

Besides the Cabinet appointees, the governor has also named other appointments to the MVA Board and the MPLT Board. They too, are awaiting a schedule for confirmation hearings. PN WebCo. was unsuccessful in its attempt to contact Sen. San Nicolas to inquire about the hearing schedule.

Before leaving on a self-funded investment trip, Gov. Benigno R. Fitial named four individuals to serve as trustees on the Marianas Public Lands Trust Board.

DFS Galleria President Marian Aldan-Pierce was nominated by Fitial to represent the women community on the board. Aldan-Pierce also sits on the Strategic Economic Development Council and is a former Chair for the Marianas Visitors Authority Board. Her husband, Richard Pierce, previously served as former Gov. Juan N. Babauta's Special Assistant for Economic and Trade Relations.

Other trustee nominees include Gregoria F. Omar, representing the Carolinian community; Alvaro Santos, to represent Saipan; and John Edward Untalan, representing Tinian.

Like the MPLA Board, the MPLT Board has also been embattled with criticisms of alleged misuse of public funds. The former trustees enjoyed very high per-diem rates, meeting compensation, and frequent travels.

Fitial hopes to improve the image of MPLT through his nominees to the board. The four nominees will have to undergo Senate confirmation as well.

Gov. Benigno R. Fitial has named three other appointments to key posts in the government.

Defeated Rota Senatorial candidate, Jovita M. Taimanao, will serve as Liaison Officer of the Marianas Guam Liaison Office. Previously, Eloy M. San Nicolas was designated by Fitial as the Acting Liaison Officer.

The Scholarship Office finally has a new director. The governor has selected Merissa Mae Seman to lead the CNMI Scholarship Office. Seman is the daughter of businessman Daniel Buniag and Remedio S. Buniag. Mr. Buniag is one of the founders of the Covenant Party, while Mrs. Buniag is an employee of the governor's office.

Days after appointing businessmen Jerry Tan and Anthony Pellegrino to the Marianas Visitors Authority Board, the governor has named another appointment to serve on the board. Covenant Party treasurer, Emma S. Villagomez, has been tapped to represent the women and the Carolinian Community on the tourism board.

Fitial has yet to name a new liaison officer for the Marianas Hawaii Liaison Office. Edward C. Dela Cruz, a strong supporter of the Babauta/Benavente ticket continues to serve in an acting capacity.