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arianas %riety;~ Micronesia's Leading Newspaper Since 1972 C&1 ews

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Manglona to take Senate . seat·d~spite FBI probe

By Zaldy ·oandan Variety News Staff

DESPITE his being under investigation by the Federal Bu- . · reau of Investigation, outgoing Tinfan mayor and senator-elect Herman M. Manglona (Unity) is "99 percent" certain of being sworn in by the 11th Senate, Variety sources sa:id yesterday.

Even Manglona' s most vocal critic, Sen. David M. Cing (DTinian), yesterday "went on the record" to say that Manglona can not be deprived of his Senate seat.

Navy visit. USS Blue Ridge Vice Admiral Robert J. Natter (left, foreground) and other Navy officials join Gov. Froilan C. Tenorio in applauding the S.C.S. Band which performed in yesterday's welcome ceremony for the US Navy ship. Photo by Lalla G. Younis

"I campaigned against . this guy, but he won, and we can't possiblyunseathimjustbecause of an ongoing investigation," Cing said.

Cing, a Democrat who sup-

Herman M. Manglona

ported incoming Republican Gov.PedroP. Tenorio, will bea member of the Senate Credentials Committee, which will be formed on Monday when the I I ti. Senate convenes for the first time.

_C_o_n_ti_n_u-ed_o_n_p_a_g_e_5_5

CPAmaybe in default on sewer project

By Rick Alberto Variety News Staff

THE COMMONWEALTH Ports Authority is in danger of being held in default if a $3.924-million sewerline project to benefit the Saipan International Airport is not fully funded.

This is according toAntonioS. Camacho, acting chair of the CPA board, who has urged the Senate to re-ap-

·, propriate funds intended for 1· · the Chalan Pale Arnold ,~

1, Road project. -~ f'i The sewerlin_e ?roject still

1~

~ needs $2.13 m1lhon. f.ii f' The CPA is footing$ I .77 ':i · ' million of the project cost. ! :

A House bill re-appropriating the needed money has been passed in the House of Representatives but is pend-ing with the Senate. i.

f; "In order to speed up the [.;; ~-: sewerline project, ::: r;: CPA ... agreed to take a lead i ; .. responsibility for the \.:

project," Camacho said in a ::1 letter to Senate President / '.

c:: Jesus R. Sablan late Decem- \: ber. t'

The project, which has be- , gun actual work, was con- i' tracted to Pacific Drilling . Ltd.

,.. The CPA could be held in ;: :. default if it is unable to make k

::;j payments to the contracto~, (ij fj Camacho said. t,) f~ Also, Camacho said the i:j ~~ project faces the risk of not · being completed and that

CPA might be sued for deContinued on page 55

q •

PAC NBVSPAPER STACKS

Pay hike bill OK'd By Zaldy Dandan Variety News Staff Most ·CNMI elected leaders will benefit

C. Tenorio whose term ends Monday.

THE TENTH Legislature yesterday adjourned for the last time (see related story) but only after passing, among other pieces of legislation, a bill that would increase the annual salaries of the CNMI's elected officials.

In back-to-back sessions, the Senate and the House of Representatives voted to give the governor, the lieutenant governor, the resident representative, the legislators and the mayors a pay hike ranging from $8,000 to $30,000 a year.

Under the bill, the governor's salary would be increased from

. . $70,000to$100,000, while the It. governor's pay would be raised from $60,000 to $80,000. · The resident representative's

$60,000 salary would then become $80,000, while the mayors' $43,200 -would be adjusted to $52,522.

Legislators, for their part, would get $47,780, which is 2 I percent more than the $39,300 they currently receive.

Most of the current legislators were reelected and will "benefit" from the measure, but Speaker Diego T. Benavente (R-Saipan)

Froilan: ·~1 leave office with strong econonty'

Froilan C. Tenorio

By Zaldy Daooan Variety News Staff

GOVERNORFroilan C. Tenorio, . whose four-year tenn ends Mon- • day, yesterday said he will be turning over a strong economy and a

· fin~ially sound government that

has prevented, for at least another year, a federal takeover of local immigration and minimum wage policies.

'There is no way this government is bankrupt or has a cash flow problem," he said. · "Our government is strong,

healthy and better off than four · years ago when we inherited a $44 million deficit, which is now down to around $16 million," Tenorio said.

"When we came in four y~ ago the revenue~ amounted to $150 million,"~said. "Governmentrevenues are now up by$ I 00 million, a 66 percent increase."

He added that though he has to scale down the fiscal year 19()8

Continued on page 55

and Majority Leader Pete.P. Reyes (R-Saipan) voted against H.B. I 0-308, whi~h passed the House by a 14 to 2 vote.

The Senate, for its part, voted 8-0 in passing the bill with Senate president, and lieutenant governor-elect, Jesus R. Sablan (RSabfan) abstaining.

The bill, which was passed amid reports of empty government coffers, now heads to Gov. Froilan

Senate Vice President Paul A. Manglona (R-Rota) yesterday said that by passing the bill, the Legislature was only acting on the 1996 report of the advisory commission on compensation which urged for a pay hike.

"This was their recommendation and even the outgoing governor has expressed support for a pay hike," -said Manglona, who is the incoming Senate president.

1997 Miss CNMI Universe Melanie Sibetang (left) and 1997 Miss Teen CNMI Miyuki Hill flash their island smiles as part of a welcoming entourage for the USS Blue Ridge yesterday. Pholo by Lalla c. Younis

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2-MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VIEWS-FRIDAY- JANUARY 9 1998

US to hand over base to Panama PANA.MA CllY, Panama (AP) - The fonner headquarters of the U.S.

Southern Command will be converted into housing for diplomats after it is handed back to Panama, authorities said Wednesday.

T11e facility at Quarry Heights, to be turned over at a ceremony Thursday, is · tl1e latest in iseries of U.S. bases being handed to Panama in accordance with

a 1977 treaty. Economists say the U.S. bases had injected between $200 million and $300

million a year into the Panamanian economy when all were operating. Panama hopes to regain that income through civilian use_ofthe bases.

"Quarry Heights is destined to become a sumptuous diplomatic_; villa, with ' its southern tum-of-the-century. French-Caribbean architectural style which makeitunique," said a statement from lhe InteroceanicRegional Aulhority, the Panamanian agency charged with converting the bases to civilian use.

1l1e Southern Command had its headquarters at Quarry Heights until September,whenitwastransferredtoMiami.Loc.atedon73acresnearPanama City, the ba<;e was built in 1914 and includes 33 buildings, a restaurant, ba!ber shop and a small hotel.

The United States already has turned over the Albrook, Fort Amador, Fort Davis and Espinar bases, as well as the Gorgas military hospital. Seven other bases, including Howard, Rodman and Fort Sherman, are to be handed over in 1999.

NORTHERN MARIANAS HOUSING CORPORATION

POSITION VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT The Northern Marianas Housing Corporation (CMHC) is soliciting employment applications for a Field Office Representalive for its olfice in Rola.

Applicant selected for the position shall be responsible lor the daily management and operations of the field olfice. Duties include, but are not limited to the following: accounts for, reports and deposils all payments received from resident lenants and loan customers; provides guidance and assistance to applicants for housing loan and Section 8 housing assistance; inlerviews applicants for assislance under NMHC's housing programs; reviews housing applicalions tor completeness prior to submission to the NMHC Central Office: processes interim and annual tenant recertificat,ons in a timely manner; collects loan and rental paymenls and takes follow up aclion on delinquenl lenants and/or loan customers: conducts periodic inspection ot the Section 8 houses and recommends corrective action; processes Section 8 repair and mainlenance requests; and pertorms other related duties as assigned.

SALARY: Salary commences at PL 32, Step 1, $24,889 per annum to maximum PL 32, Step 3, $27,437 per annum, depending upon the qualifications ot the applicant.

QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS: Minimum of two (2) years college education with courses leading lo a degree in Accounting, Business or Public Administralion, plus three (3) years of progressive work experience in a related field.

WHERE TO APPLY: Interested persons must submit an application on NMHC-prescribed Employment Appticalion Form no later than January 3D, 1998, to the Corporate Director, Northern Marianas Housing Corporation. P.O. Box 514, Saipan, MP 96950.Application forms are available at the NMHC Central Otfice in Garapan, Saipan or at the Rota NMHC Office. For further information, call telephone numbers 234-<i866/94471768917670, or write to the above address.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY: No person snail be denied employment because ol race, color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, handicap or disabling condition.

Y1,?--{ Jn.1.~ MAAYLOlIS. ADA Corporale Direclor

"NMHC IS AN EQUAL EMPLOYMENT AND FAIR HOUSING PUBLIC AGENCY-

ISTHAT?NO, IT COULDN'T BE ...

IT IS!!!

IMF readies next S. Korea payment

BY HARRY DUNPHY WASHINGTON (AP) - Facing growing ctiticism of the harsh remedies it has proposed to rescue economies in Asia, the International Monetary Fund readied the next disbursement of$ 2 billion to South Korea

As the executive board's 24 members were meeting Thursday with IMF Managing Director Michel Camdessus to review the Seoul govemment'seconomicforecasts for the year, approval of lhe next payment in the IMF's record$ 57 billion bailout of South Korea seemed all but certain.

Responding to criticism of the IMF's competence in maintaining globalfinancialstability,IkputyTreasmy Secretary Lawrence Summers defended the 182 nation international lending organization's handling of the financial crises that have hit South Korea, Indonesia and Thailand in the past six months.

As the currencies of these nations fell to record lowson Wednesday, the Clinton administration insisted that the IMF's stiff austerity measures

Locals fill up empty plastic tanks with gasoline at a gas station in downtown Seoul Thursday. The last-minute shoppers rush for stations in town to buy the fuel before the raise of its price to be effective Jan. 9. · AP

were the right prescription to resolve mers told reporters Wednesday. the crisis. WhiletheIMFmeasuresmayvary

'."The approach that has been out- from country to country, he said, "the lined, whichstartswithcountriespur- primary thrust is structural" and de-suing sound policies to create confi- signed to "let markets operate more dence and includes a primary role for effectively and gain confidence to the IMF in providing financial sup- attract capital." port, ... is the appropriate framework IMF critics say the 53-year-old foraddressingtheseproblems,"Sum- Continued on page 54

Ex-president Botha f~ces charges By PAUL HARRIS

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) · - Former President P. W. Botha will be prosecuted for refusing to appear before South Africa's Truth commission, the Western Cape attorney general announced Wednesday.

Although the charge or charges likely would be minor, the- decision to proceed by prosecutor Frank Kahn represents a major victory for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

The panel, which is investigating alleged human rights abuses by all sides during the struggle to overturn white minority rule in South Africa, faced a credibility problem if Botha had been able to continue defying it.

Kahn's announcement came after Archbishop Desmond Tutu, the Nobel laureate who heads the commission, formally requested Dec. 19 that Botha be· charged for refusing to appear.

The panel wants to hear

Botha 's account of the activities of the now-defunct State Security Council, the whiteled government's highest security body.

He has ignored three summons. Botha has called

· the Truth commission a "circus" and a witch hunt against apartheid leaders and repeatedly has said he will not testify.

President Nelson Mandela has warned Botha that no one is above the law, including the 81-year-old former president of white-led South Africa.

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FRIDAY, JANUARY 9, 1998 -MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VIEWS-3

Tough drug bill passes By Rick Alberto Variety News Staff

ON its last session yesterday, the 10th Senate passed a tough antidrug bill and fourother bills dealing with the. environment, pachinko and salary increase for government officials.

The Senate also overrode two vetoed bills, one (Senate Bill 10-78) requiring written examina-

tions for driver's license to be in English or "another one of the three official languages of the CNMI" and the other (SB 10-79) restrictingchildadoption in theCNMI.

Only the latter became a law, however, since the Lower House did not ovenide the fonner.

House Bill 10-239, HD2, known as the zero tolerance bill, requires life imprisonment for all persons con-

Hillblom. executor • • given a pay raise

Russell K. Snow

By Ferdie de Ia Torre

Variety News Staff THE SUPERIOR Court yesterday approved a request to increase the fee for La1Ty Hillblom 's estate executor Bank of Saipan from $ I 00,000 per month to$ i 50,000 monthly. · Such approval will reportedly increase the monthly salmy of BOS Trust Officer Russell K. Snow's monthly compensation of $30,000 to $50,000, the Variety learned.

Presiding Judge Alexandro Castro said after six months the court will revisit the additional fee issue whether to stop the increase or continue it.

Before approving it, Castro took sufficient time "grilling" the executor's counsels Eduardo Calvo and Kathleen Fisher as to the need of raising the fee.

Castro even cited that in a probate action in California, the executor's fee is decreasing as the case moves on to its eventual resolution.

The executor's lawyers explained that as a result of the courtapproved settlement of the heir claims, the executor has undertaken a substantially changed role,

with additional responsibilities and potential liabilities.

The lawyers said the changed role includes a substantial increase in the management responsibilities for the investment management process as additional estate assets are liquidated.

_ Fisher said Snow has hired staff and will be required to get additional personnel to fulfill the executor's additional responsibilities.

An increased executor's fee would permit the executor tonegotiate a long-term contrac, with Snow, Fisher added.

Hillblom 's Trust counsel Paul Law !or supported the executor's request, but recommended to put up a six-month frame on it.

David Lujan, counsel for petitioner Kaelani Kinney, agreed with the executor's demand and supported Lawlor's position to revisit the matter.

Lujan commended Snow and the executor's lawyers for being responsive and responsible in handling their jobs particularly during the settlement agreement on the heirship claims.

As a result of the settlement, Lujan said the executor's emphasis must now shift towards preservation, maximization, enhancement, retrieval an.d search for assets.

Last year, Lujan obje·cted Snow's $30,000 monthly sal

-ary, saying it is more than the president of US or the governor of the CNMI is receiving.

Shortly before granting tpe request, Castro expressed concern that "nothing will be left for the heirs and the Trust," referring to the estimated $450-million estate.

victed of importing and manufacturing any quantity of illegal narcotic substances including crystal methamphetamine, cocaine and heroin.

· "In the legislature's opinion it has become necessary to impose ~vere, even draconian penalties on !hose who, without consc;ence, would so prey on our society as to threaten its very survival," lhe bill stated.

The bill, authored by Rep. Manuel A. Tenorio, makes the life sentence mandatory, ruling out the possibility of probation, parole or suspension of sentence under any circumstances.

Under the bill, the sentencee is also to perform unlimited hours of community seivices.

The other bills passed: •HB 10-438,requiringallgarments

factories and hotels hooked up to lhe public sewer system to install bar

Manuel A. Tenorio

screens within their sewer laterals and businesses and dining places to install grease traps within their premises;

•HB 10-475,establishingaCNMI Mitigation Bank to create and safeguard habitats for sensitive and endangered species;

~HB 10-467,repealingcertainpro-

visions in the Rules and Regulations for the Operation of Pachinko Slot Machines promulgated by the IkpartmentofFinance. Hence, Finance shall not add to the definitions of pachinko and pachinko machine which differ from or exceeds the definitions provided in .section 3 of Public Law 9-29; and .

•HB 10-308, HD!, 551, giving elective officials from 21 to 30 percent salary hikes. ·

The bill c,n child adoption, which became a law, allows adoption only of persons born in the CNMI and those who have resided here for at least one year.

It prohibits adoption by CNMI families of children born outside the Commonwealth.

Gov. Froilan C. Tenorio had vetoed the bill because it was "too restrictive."

The USS Blue Ridge berths at Saipan's Charlie Dock in a welcoming ceremony yesterday. The US Navy ship is on a Saipan visit. · Photo by Lalla c. vounls

.Roads to Saipan· zoo repaired· -By Gerr R. Cayabyab; Jr. Variety News Staff

11-IELOCALgovemmentonSaipan recently paved the roads going to the newly-opened zoo in Capitol Hill.

Saipan Mayor Jesus S. Ikleon Guerrero on Wednesday said the action is in line wilh the need to maintain the safety of the people visiting the zoo especially the tourists.

Guerrero said the paving of lhe roads is considered conducive in

generatingmorerevenuesintheCommonwealth.

"One of the concerned government agencies informed us that tourists will not be allowed to visit the zoo if the roads remain unfixed;' Guerrero said.

So finally, he said, we managed to do the paving witl1 tl1e help of the governor.

Guerrero said he is encouraging the new mayor to work for further

improvement of the roads leading to the zoo and otl1er areas. · 'The zoo is not as big as the San

Diego UJO. It's a mini-zoo operated by one of the private businessmen on Saipan," he said.

He said the CNMI government docs not want the said business to close down.

"We want more people to visit the place as the zoo recently q:x:ncd for public,'' he also said.

Judiciary: Marshals to do collection work By Ferdie de Ia Torre Variety News Staff

THE JUDICIARY has sought to improve revenue collection using comt marshals to collect an estimated $.5 million in court fees.

Courts· Director Edward C. De Leon Gue,rero in an interview Wednesday undersc9red the need for the Marshal pivision to hire additional personnel tQ realize aggressive coll~-

,·.'·\·::·,,· ' ',· . .

tion plans. De Leon Guerrero cited the

importance to pass a legislation providing law enforcement authority for the division.

He said the court needs to hire 23 m.arshals for collection, serve summons and to supervise the security of the complex and the movement of. - · the prisoners.

The director sai4 as part of the Fiscal Year 1998 priorities ~ey

anticipate to utilize the Marshal Division in the aggressive and strict enforcement of active and pending bench warrants.

The number of active bench wairnnts is estimated to be over half a million dollars in fees.

Collection of fees will be used to help pay the loan acquired for the construction of the multimillion Judicial Complex in Susupe, he pointed out.

De Leon Guerrero said the top

priority for 1998, however. is relocationofthe Supreme Court, Superior C .1urt ;md other court entities into the Guma Hustisia, Imwaal A wee wee (Judicial Complex).

"It is imperative that the court operations be relocated to the new facility as existing facilities are in serious disrepair and just too small to accommodate the court's current caseloads," he said.

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EDITO Tillle to celebrate

MONDA Y's inauguration ceremonies for the incoming Administration of Gov.-elect Pete.P. Tenorio (Teno) and Lt. Gov .-elect J~sus R. Sablan is an opportu~e time for the CNMI to put is best foot forward. Not only is it a perfect lime for CNMI leaders to rekindle ties with Washington, D.C. but also an excellent chance to project a good image to the international community.

There 'is no better time to rub elbows with powerful. D.C. politicians and personalities th?n now, when a new era in CNMI politics is dawrnng and new bridges are inevitably built.

Teno is assuming the governorship of the Northern Marianas archipelago _at a time wl.1en the CNMI's relp.tionship with the Federal powers rs considered stramed and is in dire need of a boost.

Teno's predecessor, Gov. Froilan C. Tenorio, is relinquishing his post after a stormy and controversial term which saw run-ins with Clinton Administration critics like Allen Stayman and US Conoressman George Mi lier. ~

Gov._Froilan's t?ugh, belligerent approach in the federalization issue, whrle l'!ewed as bemg effective in putting adverse action at bay, is likewise seen as a possible reason why perhaps the fervor in CNMI critics to push for a US takeover just do not subside.

Much less. the tcrkeover threat has become. as real as ever. \~ith t.he uark episode of labor abuse allegations occasionally being

rcv1ved 1n lhe US media. the inauguration prescnts a rare privilege to c.orrect wrong notions an<l inaccurate perccptions of the Saipan situation.

With the Ii;.;es or I\!essr,. \liller anJ Sraym;m in atrenJ;rnce Jurin~ the Teno inaugu1·al. the C\'\11 jusr ha, n,)[ hc1J a bwcr ,hance ,,, J~ some window-dressing of irs own. . While I11r. Miller di~1inguishes himstlf from other pn:\'ious (;\\II

"Junkcrcers··. from US Congress in rhat he may not be that easy to com·111ce. 1t 1s crucial nonctheless to be making such a worthwhile altcrnpl while he is within CNMI shores. -

~1r. Miller h'.1s been very upfront with his purpose in visiting the CNMI, which 1s to 111spect first hand whal really is the situation in the islan~s. One must remember that up until now the bad publicity about Sa1pan has been planted on his mind only by second hand media accounts.

_ft is only now that he will be seeing things for himself hopefully wHh an open mind not beset with any pre-conceptions or prejudices.

And considering that his trip is being paid out of congressional funds and not by any interest groups. it is onlv safe 10 a:sume that his fact-finding visit will allow for a very ind~perident assessment of the true situation here, in stark contrast to the hasty generalizations that charactenzed media criticisms of the islands in the past.

The Miller visit aside. it is time for !he CNMI to celebrate its rich history and unity as a diverse group of people wanting to make a bid for prosperity under the US nag. -

More importantly. this is the time to promote goodwill not only with the federal govern men! but ,rlso with the leaders of all other nations in the region and the world, who have graciously accepted to be part of this momenlous c\'Cnt.

!1 is now the time for the CNMI to show to the world how prol!ressivc a global playn ii h;,s become under !he i\rneric:1n familv as r~ided bv the concept of ;1 free market cconomv. · - ,

The most awaited e\·cnt in CNl\11, history is here an<l so both its kaucr, and its people should now join hands in scndin!! a messal!e of peace. harmony and cooperation from this most humbl; particip,;nl in th<.: co111111un1l\' of nations.

Let's all cn(o) 1hc day.

t;Marianas 'Variet~~ : . Serving the Commonwealth tor 25 years · , , . . Published Monday to Friday By Younis Art Studio, Inc. _

Publishers: Abed and Paz Younis

Rafael H. Arroyo ...... Editor

PO 8~),: 231 Sa1p2r1 1.W 96950-02·31 1c1 rc1u123"·634li"572 97979212 ,a, 16701 23-1-9271

'S 19~8. t.1Jr1anas \/Jr1tt/

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IMmber of The Assoc,aled Press (AP)

M[Mllrn Sl~Cf ,~e~

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• Yariations -.-1

,, 6±&2-+W'~~ Zaldy Dandan

Miller time I~ 1..:"'\':.: ~· ···.~ ~:~linc>r\_1 u~ Jinner receptions '.~:.: ::-:t~,, ::-: ~:; h,m0r. U.S. House Majority \\_hip T0m DeL1y tol<l his audience of mostly alien labor recruiring businessmen that the next time California Democrat Geor!!e Miller rail against the CNMI 's "sweatshop;., on the floors of Congress, he, Mr. Delay, would ask his good colleague, "Have you ever been on Saipan?"

Well, come Sunday, he will be. In his letter Monday to the Legislature, Mr.

Miller asked for a series of meetings with the Commonwealth's leaders, adding that he intends to look very closely into the CNMI's labor and immigration practices, particularly the conditions of the islands' over 30,000 alien workers.

At the very least, Mr. Miller will find out that not every alien worker is slavin!! under Dickensian conditions. Unfortunately,-he will a.Iso hear about workers not being paid on time; workers who arrived here with a complete set of papers only to discover that they have no jobs; and workers living in cramped, and even barb wired housing barracks. Perhaps he will be told about l\;o or three other horror stories involving hapkss female workers and priapic employer.,. Mr. Miller may have already seen the Inside Edition story on the garment workers· barracks, but human rights advocates, I was told, still have plenty lo show when he arrives.

lt is, however, the contention of the outlcoing administration and those opposed t; a federal takeover that no one in the government is denying that such incidents ;till occur. And if they still continue to occur, it is no longer as bad as ii was before. Further. the government's earnestness in implementing reforms and enforcing its labor laws is now beyond doubt.

Bui the problem with this line of defense is this: it can only explain, somewhat, why labor complaints continue to be lo<lgcd: it cannot prevent them.

In contrast, !hose advocating the extension of federal immigration an<l minimum WUlce laws to the Northern Marianas can point o~t that lhc1r concerns were first raised in the mi<l-80s, and though the Commonwealth gov-

ernmcnt uid institute reforms, it also evc11111-ally enacted legislation that rcpe:1kd m "tamed"' these reforms. Mcanwhik. the alien population now constitutes more 1h,1n h;tlf 01· the CNMl's total, and reports of labor ahus,~s persist. There is, likewise. the continued \'Lilncrability of the local garrncnts induslrv from charges of .. unfair trade," and for l;avin<> workers who, to secure employment. had 1~ agree not to act like free human beinl!s while here on U.S. soil. -

Invoking the tenets of free enterprise is the CNMI's last refuge, which is fine as long as fellow travelers control Co1l!!ress. Btit -despite the seemingly national :1scendancy of the GOP, it is doubtful if it could retain control of Congress forever. J\nd therein lies the downside to lhe outgoing adminislralion's ag?re.ssive lobbying strategy on Capi1ol llill. It 1s 111 danger of becoming obsolete every other year.

No surprise then that Insular Affairs Director Allen Stayman can say that a federal takeover is inevitable. In lig,hl of the political dynamics in the nation's capital. Mr. Stayrnan 's statement was rnore of a diagnosis th:111 a boast. In his recent visit, moreo;er he managed to placate alien workCl's and s;mc of their.cmpl~>:ers by assuring them that any 1mpos1t1on of fc<leral immigration laws will ?.c a ph,'.sc-in process of at least IO years. I here Will be no massive deportations, and this was enough for the workers, most of whom, anyway, still believe that they would get green curds once INS steps in.

_Now it's Mr. Miller's turn lo drop by, and With a new administration lo.be sworn into office Monday, the CN MI 's leaders now have an opportunity to renew their oood relations with the ranking Democrat of the Resources Commillee. Of course, even after these meetings, the CNMJ leaders and Miller will find themselves still entrenched in opposing rositions. But now 1ha1 rhetoric is (temporarily?) ou, of style, both sides may now be able lo actually hear what the other is saying, and that is always good enough for those whose only fault lies in their eagerness to be heard.

Hafa lldai, Mr. Miller·.

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________________________ .:_:FR'..:.'.l:':'.D:__'.A~Y--'-.:' 1:.:_A~N~U::.:__A~R~Y:._.'.'.:9, 1998 -MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VIEWS-5

JACK ANDERSON and JAN MOLLER

WASHINGTON MERRY-GO-ROUND

Cyber systems are dangerously vulnerable W!Tll GOVERNMENTcconomisls rrc<licting .1 budget surplus in 1998. there's a lot of talk about what Con!!ress. and the president should do with the extra monev. Cut u(xes·J Increase spending on social programs? Buy a few biscuits for Buddy. the new first hound'!

We think ta.xpaycrs would be best served if 1he bonus money was spent on fighting what could soon be our big!!cst national security concern: cyber terrorism. --

Online attacks by computer hackers with bad intentions is a threat 110 longer just lhc stuff of Hollywood thrillers. Experts believe that computer security programs - in both the federal government and J\111crican in<lustry - are sadly lacking. and they warn that the United Stales is becoming increasingly vulnerable to <lebilitating cyber attacks.

J\ presidential commission stu<lying the problem recently conclu<led that the $250 million per year the government spends on computer security research should be increased to $1 billion, and the White House is busy developing strategies for strengthening the nalion 's computer defenses.

Spending SI billion a year to guard against cyber intrusion may seem like a lot. But consider !hat an 18-hour power outage over a large section of lhe country-something a skilled hacker coul<l conceivably perpetrate - could cause as much as $4 billion in damage.

J\n<l thal 's just the tip of the iceberg. A simulated "'information warfare"' attack, conducted by the

Rand Corp. at the request of U.S. intelligence officials about two years ago, provided a horrifying glimpse of just how serious our computer security shortcomings could turn out to be.

In this hypothetical scenario, a terrorist-hacker wreaks havoc throughout the world with a few calculated strokes of a keyboard:

"'In the scenario, an adversary attacks computer systems throughout !he United States and allied countries. causin!! accidents, crashing systems. blocking communication, and i;citin!! panic," reads a General Accounting Office report reviewed b; our associate J\aron Karp. "For example. in the scenario, automatic tellers at two of Georgia's largest banks are attacked. The attacks create confusion and panic when the automatic tellers wrongfully ad<l an<l <lebil thousands of <lollars from customers' accounts.

··A freight lrain is misrouted ... causing a major accident involving a high speed passenger train in Maryland. Meanwhile, telephone service is sabotaged in Washington, a major airplane crash is c:1t1sed in Great Britain; and Cairo, Egypt loses all power service.

'"J\n all-out attack is launched on computers at most (U.S.) 111ilit,1ry installations. slowing down. discounting, or crashing the systems. Weapons systems designed to pinpoint enemy tanks and troop formation begin to malfunction due to elcc-1ronic infections ...

lndeed. the Defense Department is among the most vulnerable of federal agencies. i\n estimated 500,000 "outside intrnders'" crack the DOD's computer systems each year. At a minimum, these hackers cause tens of millions of <lollars in dama!!C. J\t worst, !hey could potentially hinder the military's ability to carry out important missions.

l3ul the Pe11tagon is not alone. A recent report by the Department of Justice's Office of lnspector General concludeu that Justice's "computer security program was 11ol effective." The report didn"t get any more specific, warning that a "<letailcd disclosure ... could compromise the data -contained in the Department's computer systems."

Similarly, mos I 01· the report issue<l by the presidential commission exploring cyber security will remain classified. A fiveperson steering committee headed by Attorney General Janet Reno was given access to tl1c commission's findings, as were members of the president's Cabinet and President Clinton himself.

The report should be Useful reading for most Cabinet members. since the majority of fc<leral agencies under their supervision are described by experts as having woeful computer security programs.

Look for cyber security to become a front page issue this year, as federal officials begin to wise-up to the grave consequences of continuing to ignore the problem. Let's hope it's not already 100 late.

Copyri.t:ill /1)98, Unitt'd F!'arnrc Syndh·ar,·. Inc.

II c(!) Letters to the Editor II Now's time to plot course of CNMI Dc,u· Edi101~

Wid1 the beginning of a new ycrn· rn1d the inau~'Urationof a new a<lminisumion with the same p,uty in con-1rolof1hcCNM l l.egisla1rn1.\ilshould provi<lc ,ITT oppo1t~11e lime for our new elected lea<lcrs lo assess the cou1,c when: the CNMI is heading into 1he next ce111rny.

Our lcadc1, we pw1icking with the dcclincoftourisl,U1ivals1otheCNMI. prim,u-ily from our· main mu'ket. Japan. ,u1d emerging 1mu-ke1 South Kon::a.

·n1e visitor indusuy is !he l,u-gest rnnd seemingly ll1e most stable sector of ourislw1d's economy, accounting for over half of our Gross lshmd Product (GIP). A <lccline in towist w1ivals will havea<lellimcntal financial impact on other sectors of our economy.

This is an understan<lable reaction wnong our leaders, since the fall in tornism will mean less revenue for the government. The decrease in public revenue over a period df time will U,lllslate into a decrease in public cxpen<liture for public services, such as health, education, public safety and infrastructure support systems.

Rutherthanpanickingoverlliepmspectof economic slowdown,our leadership should seize the present economic situation to review and make adjustments to our fundwnental economic policy.

What is the real objective of our economic development policy? Is it 10 <levelop ;m economy that is sustainable. equitable? An economy that will afford Ion g term prosperity to our in<ligenouspopulation, bu tat tllesame timeprotectourfragileenvimnment?

Our p1esent economic policy is postulated on increasing annual economic growth, in order to genemte increasing annual revenues to fuel the machineiy of our government. In a real world economy, economic growth is necessary in order to meet th~ laborneedsofagrowingpopula-

lion and market demand so as to maintain a reasonable standard of living for the people.

In Ille CNMJ, economic 6'Towth is an objective sought forllle purpose of expanding the tax base in order to increa,e public 1evenues to meet Ille public sector employment need of a growing indigenous resident population ,md to provide public service for the indigenous, non-resident workers, and visitor population.

In our pursuit of our economic development objective, our island is ovcrdependentonnon-residentworkers both for meeting labor demand in the piivate sector and to provide certain essential public services such as heallll caie and education.

Our degree of dependence on nonresident workers to sustain ourpresent econol1)ic well being can be measured by the mtio of non-resident workers to our resident population.

There is presently an estimated 40,00'.) legal and illegal non-resident workers in the CNMI. Our resident population is estimated at about 30,00J. This means that to sustain our p1esent level of economic activity thereexistaratioof 1.33 non-resident workers for every resident.

Assuming that there is no change in our fundamental economic policy, the CNMI needs to increase its nonresident worker population by 1,300 for every I ,00'.) increase in our resident population.

It is projected that our resident population is estimated to increase to about 59,00'.) by the year 2015. This means lliat it is reasonable to expect that the non-resident worker population will increa-;e to approximately 78,500 by Ille swne time period.

It is undeniable that the CNMI economy will continue to have certain degrees of dependence on outside labor to meet its manpower requirements.

However, our continued and proportionately increasing dependence

on non-1esident workers is deui mental to the long-term social,cconomic and political welfare of our indi~enous resident population. -

One public issue that seems to

cl ude our leaders is the impact of public cost of maintaining and sustaining a large non-resident worker population. Allllough ourhanl working non-resident labor population is essential toourpresenteconomicwell being, the non-resident workerpopulation generates a proportionate dem,U1d on our social ,md physical infra,Uuctures.

The long-term demographic chai1ge that will o,:cur in the CNMl as a result of pursuing our present economic direction will make it difficult ifnotimpossibletocontinuedenying a huge segment of our population some degree of participation in our island political institutions.

The CNMI economy in its present state can be fundamentally described accordingly:

Total dependence on imported manpower from Third World countries Inc'igenous population is dependentonpublicsectoremploymentfor livelihood Economic power is concentrated wnong very few.

Um-egulatedfrneigninvestmenthas . severe! y diminished business opportunities for the indigenous resident population.

More than half of the total population is comprised of non-resident labor.

• Government sponsored business franchises rne justified in the public interest for the financial benefit of only a few.

• Too much unnecessary government 1egulations and 1equiremenL,

• More than two-third of the income generated on the islan<ls is 1emitted oversea, to pay for goods, servicesandmanpowerthusdenying local capital formulation.

Indigenous population do not have Continued on page 45

To DPS: Keep up good work Dear Editor:

As the new year begins, I would like to take this opportunity to publicly thank the Department of Public Safety for their enthusiastic an<l professional support of running an<l other athletic events here in Saipan.

During the past seven years, I have competed in many road races here and I have therefore had the opportunity to observe these dedicate<l officers at work first hand.

Despite the fact that many of these events begin at the crack of dawn, the police are always there

to provide traffic control and insure the safety of the ccmpetitors.

They perform their job with a smile and all ofus nmners appre-. ciate their support.

Keep up the good work in 1998.

STEPHEN P. PIXLEY

Tricks played by prospective jurors IN a small community like the CNMI, selecting jurors can be hard. More than half of prospective jurors summoned are either relatives of the victims or suspects.

****~;******** Some of the summoned pro

spective jurors also don't like to sit in the jury box an<l sit for lengthy periods of time. They feel they don't have the patience and lhe courage as required of them. So, they think of ways to

disqualify themselves. One is lying to the court that the victim or the defendant is a relative. Another is telline the coun that they believe th~ defendant is guilty.

************* During a recent jury selection

in the superior court, a prospective juror who had no interest in being one played this Irick. When the judge asked him why he should be disqualified, the man said, "The defendant re-

si<les in As Terlaje. your honor." ··so what," the -judge replied. The prospcctive juror ;mswcrcd back: "Your honor. I live in As Terlaje and I undcrst:md the crime happened in As Terlaje. Seeing no logic in the man's n:asoning, the judge shoute.d: "No, you stay here! Mr. ah ... what's your last name again'>" The man said, "As Terlaje, your honor." That did it. The man w.isexcused for signs of "incompetency." (FDT)

Tim.e to celebrate MONDA Y's inauguration ceremonies for the incoming Administration of Gov.-clect Pete P. Tenorio (Teno) and Lt. Gov.-elect Jesus R. Sablan is an opportune time for the CNMJ to put is best foot forward. Not only is it a perfect time for CNMI leaders to rekindle ties with Washington, D.C. but also an excellent chance to project a good image to the international community.

There ·is no better time to rub elbows with powerful. D.C. politicians and personalities than now, when a new era in CNMI politics is dawning and new bridges are inevitably built.

Teno is assuming the governorship of the Northern Marianas archipelago at a time when the CNMI 's rel.ationship with the Federal powers is considered strained and is in dire need of a boost.

Teno's predecessor, Gov. Froilan C. Tenorio, is relinquishing his post after a stormy and controversial term which saw run-ins with Clinton Administration critics like Allen Stayman and US Congressman George Miller.

Gov. Froilan's tough, belligerent approach in the federalization issue, while viewed as being effective in putting adverse action at bay, is likewise seen as a possible reason why perhaps the fervor in CNMI critics to push for a US takeover just do not subside.

Much less. the takeover threat has become. as real as ever. With the dark episode of labor abuse allegations occasionally being

revived in the US meuia. the inauguration presents a rare privilege to

correct wrong notions and inaccurate perceptions of the Saipan situation.

With the likes of Messrs. Miller and Stayman in attendai:ice during the Teno inaugural. the CNMI just has not had a better chance to do some window-dressing of its own.

While Mr. Miller distinguishes himself from other previous CNMI "junkc1ccrs" from US Congress in that he may not be that easy to convince. it is crncial nonetheless to be making such a worthwhile attempt while he is within CNMI shores.

Mr. Miller has been very upfront with his purpose in visiting the CNMI, which is to inspect first hand what really is the situation in the islands. One must remember that up until now the bad publicity about Saipan lias been planted on his mind only by second hand media accounts.

It is only now that he wil I be seeing things for himself hopefully with an open mind not beset with any pre-conceptions or prejudices.

And considering that his trip is being paid out of congressional funds and not by any interest groups, it is only safe to assume that his fact-finding visit will allow for a very independent assessment of the true situation here, in stark contrast to the hastv generalizations that characterized media criticisms of the islands in the past.

The Miller visit aside. it is time for the CNMI to celebrate its rich history and unity as a diverse group of people wanting to make a bid for· prosperity under the US flag.

More importantly, this is the time to promote goodwill not only with the federal government but also with the leaders of all other nations in the region and the world. who have graciously accepted to be part of this momentous event.

It is now the time for the CNMI to show to the world how progressive a global player it has become under 1hc American family as guided by the concept of a free market economy.

The most awaited event in CNMI history is here and so both its leaders and i1s people should now join hands in sending a message of peace. harmony and cooperation from this most humble participant in the community of nations.

Let's all enjoy the c.Jay.

Publishers: Abed and Paz Younis

Rafael H. Arroyo ...... Editor

P.O 8ox 231 Sa,psn 1.1P 96950-0231 Tel (670) 234 5341;7573,9791;9272 Fax (670) 234-9271

if.. 1998, ~M1:1anas Vcmety All Rights Reser,ed

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Miller time IN ONE of the numerous dinner receptions held here in his honor, U.S. House Majority Whip Tom Delay told his audience of mostly alien labor recruiting businessmen that the next time California Democrat George Miller rail against the CNMI 's "sweatshop; .. on the floors of Congress, he, Mr. Delay, would ask his good colleague, "Have you ever been on Saipan?"

Well, come Sunday, he will be. In his letter Monday to the Legislature, Mr.

Miller asked for a series of meetings with the Commonwealth's leaders, adding that he intends to look very closely into the CNMI's labor and immigration practices, particularly the conditions of the isl ands' over 30,000 alien workers.

At the very least, Mr. Miller will find out that not every alien worker is slaving under Dickensian conditions. Unfortunately, he will also hear about workers not being paid on time: workers who arrived here with a complete set of papers only to discover that they have no jobs; and workers living in cramped, and even barb wired housing barrucks. Perhaps he will be told about l\;o or three other horror stories involving hapless female workers and priapic employers. Mr. Miller may have already seen the Inside Edition story on the garment workers' barracks, but human rights advocates, I was told, still have plenty to show when he arrives.

It is, however, the contention of the outgoing administration and those opposed t~ a federal takeover that no one in the government is denying that such incidents ;till occur. And if they still continue to occur, it is no longer as bad as it was before. Further, the government's earnestness in implementing reforms and enforcing its labor laws is now beyond doubt.

But the problem with this line of defense is this: it can only explain, somewhat, why labor complaints conti.nue to be lodged: it cannot prevent them.

In contrast, those advocating the extension of federal immigration and minimum wage laws to the Northern Marianas can point out that their concerns were first raised in the mid-KOs, and though the Commonwealth gov-

ernment did institute reforms, it also eventually enacted legislation that rcpe:tled or "t.1med" these reforms. Meanwhile. the alien population now constitutes more th:rn half or the CNMI's total. and reports or labor ahus,~s persist. There is, likewise. the continued vulnerability of the local garments industry from charges of "unfair trade," and for having workers who, to secure employment. had to agree not to act like free human beings whik here on U.S. soil.

Invoking the tenets of free enterprise is the CNMJ.'s last refu!!e, which is fine as Ion!! as fellow travelers ~ontrol Congress. But 'despite the seemingly national :1sccndancy of the GOP, it is doubtful if it could retain control of Congress forever. And therein lies the downside to the outgoing administration's aggressive lobbying strategy on Capitol Hill. It is in danger of becoming obsolete every other year.

~o surprise then that Insular Affairs Director Allen S tayman can say that a federal takeover is inevitable. In light of the political dynamics in the nation's capital, Mr. S tayman 's s tatc men twas more of a diagnosis than a boast. In his recent visit, morco;cr. he managed to placate alien workers and some of their employers by assuring them that any imposition of federal immigration laws will be a phase-in process of at least IO years. There will be no massive deportations, and this was enough for the workers, most of whom, anyway, still believe that they would get green cards once INS steps in.

Now it's Mr. Miller's turn to drop by, and with a new administration to.be sworn into office Monday, the CNMl's leaders now have an opportunity lo renew their good relations with the ranking Democrat of the Resources Committee. Of course, even after these meetings, the CNMI leaders and Miller will find themselves still entrenched in opposing positions. flut now that rhetoric is (temporarily?) out of style, both sides may now be able to actually hear what the other is saying, ;md that is always good enough for those whose only fault lies in their eagerness to be heard.

Hafa Adai, Mr. Mi lier.

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JACK ANDERSON and JAN MOLLER

WASHINGTON MERRY-GO-ROUND

Cyber systems are dangerously vulnerable WlTll GOVERNMENT economists predicting a budget surplus in 199H, there's a lot or talk about what Congress. and the president should Jo with the extra money. Cut taxes? Increase spending on social programs? Buy a few biscuits for Buddy. the new first hound?

We think taxpayers would be best scrvcu if the bonus money was spent 011 fighting. what could soon be our biggest national security concern: cyber terrorism.

Online attacks by computer hackers with bac.J intentions is a threat no longer just the stuff of Hollywood thrillers. Experts believe that computer security programs - in both the federal government and American industry - arc sadly lacking, and they warn that the United States is becoming increasingly vulnerable to debilitating cybcr attacks.

A presidential commission studying the problem recently concluded that the $250 mil lion per year the government spends on computer security research should be increased to$ I billion, and the White House is busy developing strategies for strengthening the nation's computer defenses.

Spending$ I billion a year lo guard against cyber intrusion may seem like a lot. But consider that an 18-hour power outage over a large section of the country -something a skilled hacker could conceivably perpetrate ~ could cause as much as $4 billion in damage.

And that's just the tip of the iceberg. A simulated "information warfare" attack, conducted by the

Rand Corp. at the request of U.S. intelligence officials about two years ago, provided a horrifying glimpse of just how serious our computer security shortcomings could turn out to be.

In this hypothetical scenario, a terrorist-hacker wreaks havoc throughout the world with a few calculated strokes of a keyboard:

"In the scenario, an adversary attacks computer systems throughout the United States and allied countries. causing accidents, crashing systems, blocking communication, and inciting panic," reads a General Accounting Office report reviewed by our associate Aaron Karp. "For example, in the scenario. automatic tellers at two of Georgia's largest banks are attacked. The attacks create confusion and panic when the automatic tellers wrongfully add and debit thousands of dollars from customers' accounts.

"A freight train is misrouted ... causing a major accident involving a high speed passenger train in Maryland. Meanwhile, telephone service is sabotaged in Washington, a major airplane crash is caused in Great Britain; and Cairo. Egypt loses all power service.

"An all-out attack is launched on computers at most (U.S.) military installations. slowing down, discounting. or crashing the systems. Weapons systems designed to pinpoint enemy tanks and troop formation begin to malfunction due to electronic infections ...

Indeed. the Ddcnsc Department is among the most vulnerable of federal agencies. An estimated 500,000 "outside intruders" crack the DOD"s computer systems each year. At a minimum, these hackers cause tens of millions of dollars in damage. At wor·st, they could potentially hinder· the military's ability to carry out important missions.

But the Pentagon is not alone. A recent report by the Department of Justice's Office of Inspector General concluded that Justice's "computer security program was not effective." The report didn't get any more specific, warning that a "detailed disclosure ... could compromise the data contained in the Department's computer systems."

Similarly, most 01· the report issued by the presidential commission exploring cybcr security will remain classified. A fiveperson steering committee headed by Attorney General Janet Reno was given access to the commission's findings, as were members of the president's Cabinet and President Clinton him-· self.

The report shou Id be useful reading for most Cabinet members, since the majority of federal agencies under their supervision are described by experts as having woeful computer security programs.

Look for cybcr security to become a front page issue this year. as federal officials begin to wise-up to the grave consequences of continuing to ignore the problem. Let's hope it's not already too late.

Copyright 1998, United Frnt11rc Syndicate. lt1<·.


II C(i) Letters to the Editor II Now's time to plot course of CNMI Dern· Editor~

With the beginning of a new ycm· ,md the inauguration of a new adminisu-ation with the smne pmty in conuul oftheCNMI Legislature, it should provide ,m opprn1Une time for our new electcu leaders to assess the cour,;c where the CNMI is heading into the next century.

Our leaders me p,micking with the decline of tou1isumivals totl1e CNMI. prirmuily from our main 111.u'kct, JaJXUl, ,md emerging m:u·ket South Krnea.

The visitor indusuy is tl1e largest and seemingly the most stable sector of our island's economy, accounting for over h,M of our Gmss Island Product (GIP). A decline in tourist m1iv;ils will have a detrimental financial impact on other sectors of our economy.

1l1is is an understandable reaction among our leaders, since the fall in toU1ism will mean less revenue for the government. The decrease in public revenue over a period of time will translate into a decrease in public eJ1penditure for public se1vices, such as health, education, public safety and infrastructure support systems.

Ratherthanpanickingovertheprospcctof economicslowdown,ourleadership should seize the present economic situation to review and make ad justmcnL~ to our fundamental economic policy.

What is the real objective of our economic development policy? Is it to develop an economy that is sustainable.equitable? Aneconomythat will afford long term prosperity to our indigenous population, butatthesame time protectourfragileenvironment?

Our present economic policy is postulated on inc1easing annual economic growth, in order to generate increasing annual revenues to fuel the machinery of our government. In a real world economy, economic growth is necessary in order to meet th~ labor needs of a growing popula-

tion and market demand so as to maintain a rew;onable standard of living for the people.

In the CNMJ, economic grow.th is an objective sought for the purpose of expanding the tax. base in order to increase public revenues to meet the public sector employment need of a growing indigenous resident population and to provide public service for the indigenous, non-resident workers, and visitor population.

In our pursuit of our economic development objective, our island is overdependentonnon-residentworkers both for meeting labor demand in the private sector and to provide certain essential public services such as heal th care and education.

Ourdegreeofdependenceonnon-1esiclent workers to sustain ourpresent economic well being can be measured by the ratio of non-resident workers to our resident population.

There is presently an estimated 40,000 legal and illegal non-resident workers in the CNMI. Our resident population is estimated at about 30,000. This means thattosustainour present level of economic activity thereexistaratioof I .33non-resident workers for every resident.

Assuming that there is no change in our fundamental economic policy, the CNMI needs to increase its nonresident worker population by 1,300 for every 1,000 in=ase in our resident population.

It is projected that our resident population is estimated to in=ase lo about 59,000 by the year 2015. This means that it is reasonable to expect that the non-resident worker population will increase to approximately 78,500 by the same time period.

It is undeniable that the CNMI economy will continue to have certain degrees of dependence on outside labor to meet its manpower requirements.

However, our continued and proportionately increasing dependence

on non-resident workers is deuimental to the long-term social, economic and political welfme of our indigenous 1esident population.

One public issue that seems to elude our leaders is the impact of public cost of maintaining and sustaining a large non-resident worker population.Although our hard working non-1esident labor population is essential toourpresentewnomic well being. the non-resident worker population genenites a proportionate demand on our social :md physical infrastrnctures.

The long-term demographic change that will occur in the CNMI as a result of pursuing our present economic direction will make it difficult ifnotimpossible to continue denying a huge segment of our population some degree of participation in our island political institutions.

The CNMI economy in its present state can be fundamental! y described accordingly:

Total dependence on imported manpower from Third World countriesim'igenous population is dependent on public sector employment for livelihood Economic power is concentrated among very few.

Unregulated foreign investment has . severely diminished business opportunities for the indigenous resident population.

More than half of the total population is comprised of non-resident labor.

• Government sponsored business franchises are justified in the public interest for the financial benefit of only a few.

• Too much unnecessary government regulations ,md requirements

• More than two-third of the income generated on the islands is remitted overseas to pay for goods, services and manpower thus denying local capital fo1mulation.

Indigenous population do not have Continued on page 45

To DPS: Keep up good work Dear Editor:

As the new year begins, I would like to take this opportunity to publicly thank the Department of Public Safety for their enthusiastic and profcssionul support of running and other athletic events here in Saipan.

During the past seven years, I have competed in many road races here and I have therefore had the oppo11unity to observe these dedicated officers at work first hand.

Despite the fact that many of these events begin at the crack of dawn, the police are always there

to provide traffic control and insure the safety of the cempetitors.

They pe1i'orm their job with a smile and all ofus runners appre-. ciate their support.

Keep up the good work in 1998.

STEPHEN P. PIXLEY

Tricks played by prospective jurors IN a small community like the CNMI, selecting jurors can be hard. More than half of prospective jurors summoned arc either relatives of the victims or suspects.

************* Some of the summoned pro

spective jurors also don't like to sit in the jury box and sit for lengthy periods of time. They feel they don't have the patience and the courage as required of them. So, they think of ways to

disqualify themselves. One is lying to the court that the victim or the defendant is a relative. Another is telling the court that they believe the defendant is guilty.

************* During a recent jury selection

in the superior court, a prospective juror who had no interest in being one played this trick. When the judge asked him why he should be disqualified, the man said, "'The defendant re-

sides in As Terlaje, your honor. .. "So what," the .judge rep! ied. The prospective juror answered back: "Your honor. I live in As Tcrlaje and I undnst:md the crime happened in As Terlaje. Seeing no logic in the man's reasoning, the judge shouted: "No, you stay here! Mr. ah ... what's your last name again'!" The man said, "As Terlaje, your honor." That did it. The man was excused for signs of "incompetency." (FDT)

6-MARJANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VIEWS-FRIDAY- JANUARY 9, 1998

Despite Asian turmoil

Fund to retain SE Asia investments By Gerr R. Cayabyab, ~r. Variety News Staff

THE NORTHERN Mariana Islands Retirement Fund will maintain $16 million investments in the emerging market areas of Southeast Asia despite the fall of currencies there.

Retirement Fund Administrator Edward H. Manglona yesterday said the Fund is not looking in terms of return of investments in just one or two years.

"What we are looking for is the

average of gain. We just don't look at what is happening now. We have continued assessment or evaluation on our investments," Manglona said.

He said the recent devaluation of the currencies in that emerging market area, "our investments did not do well for at least the last three quarters."

In October 1983, Manglona said, the Fund lost $3 million but the amount was regained in the succeeding months.

; Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands •

i

~ COMMONWEALTH DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY .. .

"',£-PUBLIC NOTICE The Commonwealth Development Authority will be closed on Friday, January 9, 1998 i.n observance of Commonwealth Day; And, accordance to the Governor's declaration, CDA will also recognize January 12, 1998 as a special holiday and would the ref ore be closed on Monday for the Inaugural Events.

. Ill

"In that ~tock market crush, we know that we earned $3 million prior to the crush," he noted.

He said that because of the current fluctuation of the currencies in the Asian markets, "our mohey managers are not doing very well now."

Manglona admitted the Fund just lost in the recent devaluation of the Asian currencies.

However, he said, one has to understand that if the Fund withdraws its investments, then more money will be lost.

Manglona stressed that if one has a better understanding of the deficient frontier, one will find a bad and good cycle .

He noted that the goal of Fund is to meet the seven and a half of the ROI.

"Based on: our experience within· the last 14 years, the Fund is averaging at least 12 percent of our ROI since I 983. This indicates that the Fund's earning is above the expected ROI," Manglona said.

In the coming years, Manglona said, we are looking fo.r an outlook that is more bright as our time horizon is long term. ·

Manglona admitted that right now, thereis no way the Southeast Asian market will go up.

He said that the Fund's investment earnings cannot be overwhelmed by the highest interest rates offered by banks.

According to Manglona, when the Fund first started investing in the Southeast Asian region- having one fifth of the world's population, it was considered potential

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1. INDIAN CURRYS 5. GOAN FISH CURRY 2. TANDORI VARIETYS 6. CHANA MASALA 3. INDIAN SHORBA 7. DAL-MAKHANI 4. FISH PUNJABIE

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area for inv.estrnent. Among these countries are Phil

ippines, Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia.

Manglona also explained that the Fund's asset allocation is composed of seven strategies,. in which five investment strategies are in the U.S. · stock market.

"One Fund's investment strategy is international; and the othi::r one is in the Southeast Asia. Our investment spread all over the globe," Manglona said.

"The reason why we invested in the Southeast Asian region is. because two years ago, we were looking at that area as emerging. Although one fifth of the world's popu-

lation is there, it does not mean that the economies hav~ the same standard to that of the United States."

Manglona believes that leaders of the emerging markets in Asia want their people to experience a higher standard of living.

With that in mind, he _s.aid, leaders are starting to put or place policies that are favorable for economic growth.

"If the policies are well-implemented by leaders, we simply have to wait for a certain period of time for the result," Manglona said.

"We want to make sure that we grow with them. We invested five percent of our tol.!11 assets there," he added.

I 1'Tursing .• ~Your.11eaJili .. l · Measuring blood pressure

By Judith Avery, RN For the Variety

Recently my 82 year old mother asked me to explain to her what I heard and did when I fook her blood pressure.

This qu~stion helped me to realize that of the most common procedures performed in a health care setting is a mystery to the majority of the population.

The blood pressure is measure by using a stethoscope, a blood pressure cuff and a dial called a sphygmomanometer.

The cuff is wrapped around the upper part· of the arm and then inflated with air by means of a small hand held bulb pump. As the cuff inflates, it begins to squeeze the arm.

The purpose of this is to squeeze the arm hard enough so as to shut off the flow of blood in the artery running down the arm. Unfortunately, all the blood flow is shut off to the arm and if the inflated cuff is left in place too long, your hand will begin to feel numb.

The nurse I is tens through the stethoscope and hears nothing since the blood flow.is shut off. The air pressure is gradually released from the cuff and the blood gradually begins to flow

through the artery again. No sound is heard through

the stethoscope until the cuff pressure is less than the systolic pressure in the artery.

Systolic pressure is the first and higher number recorded in your blood pressure.

At this point a pulse is heard. As the cuff pressure continues to fall slowly, the pulse continues. When the cuff pressure is less. thim the diastolic pressure, no pulse is heard. Diastolic pressure is the secon·d and smaller number in your blood pressure. So what the nurse listens for when taking your blood pressure is the beginning of a pulse sound and the ending·of the pulse sound.

Average blood pressures run about 120/180 with 120 being the systolic and 80 being the diastolic. Y_ou should hav~ your blood pressure checked yearly if your blood pressures run normal and more often if your systolic pressure in greater that 140 . and/or your diastolic pressure exceeds 90.

Any questions or comments should be directed to Judith Avery RN, CNS; Nursing Resource Development Officers; PPP487 Box, I 0,000, Saipan MP 96950.

I S~AN Cellular new location I SAIPAN Cellular and Pag

ing has relocated located to the Gualo Rai Commercial Center main building, Gualo Rai, Middle Road.

Saipan Cellular and Paging

is moving its office from the H.S. Lee Building, Middle Road, Saipan. office telephone number will still be 235-PAGE(7243) and facsimile number will remain 235-7640.

'··

/

i I

FRIDAYJANUARY 9, 1998 :MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VIEWS-7

Contractor claims $5M loss on co11rt complex

By Ferdie de la Torre Variety News Staff

WOOSUNG Construction Co., Ltd. is allegedly losing an esti·mated $5 million over the building of the multimillion Judicial Complex in Susupe.

Nam Kook Heo, Woosung general manager, in an interr view yesterday said they have already spent $16 million in the project which they got for$ I 0.3 million in the original contract.

Heo explained Woosung incurred additional expenses because of the continues changes in the designs as requested by the Department of Public Works and a firm hired to oversee the project.

Construction of the complex started in April 1995 with a target completion date in Nov. 1997.

There were at least 160 different changes. in the designs which were not incorporated in the original design, said the

Woosung general manager. He said the government re

leased an additional funding for the changes last September, bringing to a total of $11.4 million public funds paid to the company.

The main Woosung office in South Korea supported $3.5 million to make construction possible, Heo pointed out.

Heo agreed with Courts Director Ed ward C. De Leon Guerrero's position that they cou Id not say when the complex will finally be fully completed .

··we don't have the money to complete the project," Heo said. ··r asked favor to my six employees who have been working to complete the remaining job to be patience. I am spending my own money and sacrificing myself for this project."

The general manager said actually they could finish the complex in 25 days only if DPW

would agree to release partial amount of the $400,000 in retainers' fee.

Heo said he hired a lawyeno get a multimillion claim as result of the additional expenses brought by the changes and the retainers' fee from DPW.

"We receive no response because of the transition process for the new administration. I guess nobody can answer it," Heo said.

'"Nobody is responsible for the delay. Some people just deny their responsibilities," he added.

De Leon Gue1Teroearlierstated that once DPW hands over the key for the complex lo the Judiciary, the critical issue on funding for operations comes into the picture.

The director emphasized thut although the judiciary is the owner of the complex, the court is not involved with the management of its construction.

Iii

~i "·"';'

The facade of the multimillion Judicial Complex in Susupe. The opening of the building is facing uncertainty because of problems on con/ruction and operations budget. Pho<obyFerdlede<aTorre

Miller intends to inspect conditions here during visit WASHINGTON, D.C.-Con!,'lcssman George Miller(D-Calif.) willvisittheCommonwealthofthe NortliemM:uiam~ Islands (CNMIJ next week to attend inaugimtl ceremonies and to continue his investigation into allegations of abuses in labor and inmiigration ]X>licies.

Miller,tlies::niorDerI1CXT.1ticmemocrof the House Resource Committee, has been etitiatl of tlie CNMI government' SJXllicyofadm.itting tens of thousands of foreign workers and tlieconditionsunderwhichtheywork and live. He ruL~ inboouced legislation to apply U.S. labor and immigration policie.~ to tlie CNMI.

"I run looking fo1ward to attending the inauguration of Govemorelecl Pedro Tenorio and other officials and meeting with leaders of tlie Commonwealth's government . dµring my visit," Miller said in a news release.

"I will also be meeting with fed-

George Miller

eral representatives mid local residents to gain a full understanding of the policies at work in the CNMI and the problems that exist.

"My concerns about labor condition, in the CNMI are based on numerous independent and highly reliable sources: This is an jmportant opportunityforme lo investigate these conditions personally and to meet face to face with knowledgeable·

people. "I run also looking forw:u·J to

le:miingmo1eabout the stale of the education system and the infrastructure needs of the Commonwealth duiing my visit

I have been deeply involved in territorial issues, und in the CNMI specifically,tl1roughoutmyservice in the Congrc.,, and this tiip offers me a chance to see the cffccL, of federal policies on the CNMI in person.

"It is very impo1t:U1t for me personally to make this visit, m1d I look forward to a very busy mid informative hip."

Miller will be accompanied by JohnL1wrenre, the Democratic staff director for the Resources Committee, and Marie Howard-Fabrizio, the Committee's tenitorial JX)licy staff member. Miller's group is also planning a b!ief visit lo Guam to

· inspect recen~ stonn damage.

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.8-MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS.AND VIEWS-FRIDAY~ JANUARY 9 1998

Veto favors workers By Zaldy Dandan Variety News Staff

OUTGOING Gov. Froilan C. Tenorio yesterday vetoed a bill that would no longer require employers to pay for their alien workers' medical expenses, and submitted a revised fiscal year 1998 budget estimate of $253.2 million, which is $9.2 million less than the previous estimate.

Tenorio, at the same time, announced that revenues are still going up and the government will continue to run a small surplus, at least until the incoming Legislature passes a budget for FY 1998, which swrted last Oct. 1 and will end on Sept. 30 this year.

Tax subsidy Tenorio. who signed the veto

message ycsh:rday morning and not Wednesday as reported by another newspaper, said Senate Bill 10-4wouldonlygivea"massi vc taxpayersubsidy ·· to employers of alien workers.

In his Jetter to the Legislature, Tenorio said if the bill becomes law, "All of the medical expenscs ... presently borne by the employers would instead be shifted to the taxpayer."

In addition, he said, the bill would reduce the revenues of the Commonwealth Health Center (CHC), which has become a major source of government revenues.

Tenorio also submits $253M budget estimate

Froilan C. Tenorio

compensate our lower minimum wage," he said.

"This bill would destroy that argument (and) would also help increase the perception in Washington that we are trying to exploit our workers," the governor said.

Instead of passing similar "piecemeal legislation," Tenorio said the Legislature shou Id pass a general reform of our labor code, particularly the administration-sponsored bill that is still in the House of Representatives.

Reduced revenues The governor has finally

transmitted the revised revenue estimate for FY 1998, which amounts to $253.2 million, or $9.2 million Jess than his earlier estimate.

Tenorio, in his Jetter yesterday to the Legislature, said that though the new estimate represents a "significant de-

. crease" in anticipated revenue, ·'it is still larger ... than the $247 million for FY 1997."

He said government revenues will continue to increase, but only by 2.5 to 3 percent instead of the 6 to 7 percent originally anticipated.

The governor blames the

"sharp" tax cut and "anti foreign investment" measures passed by the Legislature, the current Asian currency crisis and the delay in the opening of the Tinian casino for the reduction in revenues.

But "the picture is not entirely bleak," he said.

There has been significant increases in actual collections, particularly in the garment user fee and CHC's revenues, Tenorio said.

He added that the new budget will still allow modest increases for most agencies, but it will be up to the incoming Legislature to decide where and how to distribute these gains.

A significant portion of CH C's money comes from employers paying for the medical expenses of their workers. he added.

.. It may not be fair to have the employer pay in all cases, but it is never fair to burden the taxpayer," Tenorio said.

Movie House burglarized The governor also agrees with

the bill's critics who have said that S.B. 10-4 may violate the federal Pregnancy Discrimination Act, and "could seriously weaken our defenses against a federal takeover of labor and immigration, and federalization of our minin1un1 wage:'

"One of our strongest arguments has been that (alien) workers receive full medical coverage while they are here ... , and that this helps


UNIDENTIFIED person/s reportedly vandalized Saipan's only movie theater and stole $1,000 cash Tuesday night.

Departmentof PublicSafety Information Officer Maj. J. J. Castro said the owner of Movie House discovered the break-in when he found the door was pried open.

Castro said the suspect/s sprayed the walls near the ticket booth with fire extinguisher.

Candies were also scattered all over the floor, Cas.tro said.

Police said the money inside the cash register and some candies were stolen.

Investigators be! ieve that thesuspect/s gained entry by opening the vintillation on the roof.

Police placed the case under further investigation.

Meanwhile, a 44-year-old man was arrested for assaulting another person with a wooden chair and rock atKoblervilleresidence Tues-

Introducing the All New

day afternoon. Wen Leng Chen was arrested

for assault with a dangerous weapon and assault and battery.

The victim, described as 48-year-old male Chinese, was taken to the Commonwealth Health Center for injuries.

Police said prior to the assault, the victim approached Chen and asked him to pay money.

The suspect instead punched the victim and hit him with a rock and chair.

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• a1rpo ute By Rick Alberto Variety News Staff

THE Commonwealth Utilities Corp. contributes the biggest share of Saipan 's air pollution, the director of the Division of Environmental Quality said Wednesday.

John I. Castro Jr. said this is so because it operates the biggest power generatqrs on the island.

The CUC had been cited for its emissions "many times" by the US Environmental Protection Agency, Castro said.

The CUC, he said, has hired a consultant to do the "air modeling" of CUC power plants and to analyze the toxicity of the smoke

. emissions from CUC power plants.

RP's most popular fruit is 'barred' at points of entry

By Aldwin R. Fajardo Variety News Slaff

WHILE PHILIPPINE mangoes can easily reach out to European fruit lovers, the country's favorite fruit is having a hard time penetrating the Northern Marianas market.

This, even as G:NMI residents have previously been quoted as saying that Philippine mangoes are among the best.

One Chamorro woman randomly asked by the Variety quipped she loves Philippine mangoes but cannot find ~he fruit in store shelves on the island.

"Why can't we have Phi Ii ppine mangoes here," she asked.

The Philippine Consulate has admitted that it is harder to ship local magoes here despite the existence of a prospective market in the Marianas for the fruit.

Philippine Consul Julia Heidemann explained that the Philippine mangoes have been regulated by the US Department of Agriculture and negotiations are needed to ship the local fruit to CNMI.

"It is regulated by the US agriculture department, so maybe, it needs a harder negotiation with the Department to be done in Washington,''. Heidemann said.

She added that shipment of mangoes to the CNMI should not pe a problem considering the islands' proximity to the Philippines.

" ... unlike when I was in Europe, we had a problem transporting the mangoes. It has to be by plane, here you can do it by boat," Heidemann stressed.

She also said that even when the Philippine mangoes cost $3 per piece, there was no restrictions from the customs and the Europeans "just love having the fruit."

At the same time, the Consul said her office has been identifying specific products which can be fused in to the CNMI market, and the ways to let Philippine goods in.

Vice Consul Renell Santos previously said the existing trade relations between the Philippine and the CNMI governments is giving Philippine-made products a chance to compete with foreign and native goods.

Santos said this is evident in the presence of various Philippine

· commodities in different groceries and supermarkets in Saipan, Tinian and Rota.

"We have been identifying products that have good poten-

Grade schools enjoy the slides at the Garapan Elem. School playground. Photo by Lalla C. Younis

The consultant is also supposed to recommend remedies to be done.

"The recommendations could be raising the· stack higher and changing the fuel," Castro said.

Castro said, though, that the CUC.generators have shifted from oil to diesel fuei', which reduces the toxicity emitted into the air.

Julia Heidemann

tials to penetrate the local market. The basic aspect of trade promotion is to ffnd a market for a particular product," he told the Variety.

But Santos said he is not discounting the fact that a large percentage of the population in the Marianas is dominated by the Filipino~, which have resulted to a bigger demand for Philippine goods.

He said the Consulate's trade promotion office is continuously providing information to Philippine-based businessmen on who to contact in CNMI fortheirproducts.

.. '' , .

Castro also said that for the past year, the DEQ had been requiring private power generators to seek permit.

Hundreds of business establishments, including hotels and garments factories, use theirown generators.

"We are requiring all companies to submit an application. We

will not permit them until they submit to us information including what kind of emission they (generators) have," Castro said.

In the case of the CUC, Castro said the DEQdoesn 'tregulate it at present. but that if the new local statute which is thecounterpartof the federal Clean Air Actisenacted,then"CUCwill be regulated."

DEQ marine water report TIIEDMSION ofFnvironmen

tal Quality (DEQ) analyzed water samples collected from Saipan 's recreational beaches and storm water drainages this week as part of the regularly scheduled sampling.

The samples collected from · DrainagesSouthoFPIC Hotel contained excessive concentration of fecal coliform bacteria and/ or chemistry parameters which exceeded the CNMI Marine Water Quality Standards, the DEQ said in an advisory High concentrations of Fecal Coliforms may be the resultofhigh surf conditions or stormwater runoff due to rain storms. Fecal Coliform bactetia are not usually

disease causing. The bacteria can indicate thepies

ence of human and animal waste in the water. Studies have shown that storm water runoff in tropical environments may also contain fecal coliform bacteria from the natural environment.

In order to adequate! y address public health concerns, DEQ maintains its policy of advising the public ·not to fish or swim within 300 feet of these locations within 48 hours of this notice.

DEQ welcomes all inquiriesas to the quality of the beach water. 11le publicisencouragedtocontactDEQ at 234-6114 with any questions concerning this matter.

e WANTED

ISLAND

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Must own car / outgoing personality / with sales experience / self motivated & confident

APPARB.. Interested applicants should submit their application k1porl Rood with resume to Maristela Caraig.

(across KeicoMolo,s) NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE.

Ciettlpg Tired Of The Same Food? Come To Our House

PIC Presents The Best Sunday Brunch On Island

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$22.00 adult/$11.00 child (4-11) Local Discount Price·

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'· .8-MARJANAS VARIETY NEWS"AND VIEWS-FRIDAY- JANUARY 9, 1998

Veto favors workers By Zaldy Dandan Variety News Staff

OUTGOING Gov. Froilan C. Tenorio yesterday vetoed a bill that would no longer require employers to pay fortheiralien workers' medical expenses, and submitted a revised fiscal year 1998 budget estimate of $253.2 million, which is $9.2 million less than the previous estimate.

Tenorio, at the same time. announced that revenues are still going up and the government will continue to iun a small surplus, at least until the incoming Legislature passes a budget for FY 1998, which started last Oct. I and will end on Sept. 30 this year.

Tax subsid)' Tenorio, who signed the veto

message yesterday morning and not Wednesday as reported by another newspaper, said Senate Bill I 0-4would only give a "massi vc taxpayer subsidy" to employers of alien workers.

In his letter to the Legislature, Tenorio said if the bill becomes law, "All of the medical expenses ... presently borne by the employers would instead be shifted to the taxpayer."

In addition, he said, the bill wou Id reduce the revenues of the Commonwealth Health Center (Cl-IC), which has become a major source of government revenues.

Tenorio also submits $253M budget estimate

Froilan C. Tenorio

compensate our lower minimum wage," he said.

"This bill would destroy that argument (and) would also help increase the perception in Washington that we are trying to exploit our workers," the governor said.

Instead of passing similar "piecemeal legislation," Tenorio said the Legislature should pass a general reform of our labor code, particularly the administration-sponsored bill that is still in the House of Representatives.

Reduced revenues The governor has finally

transmitted the revised revenue estimate for FY 1998, which amounts to $253.2 mill ion, or $9.2 million less than his earlier estimate.

Tenorio, in his letter yesterday lo the Legislature, said that though the new estimate represents a "significant de-

. crease" in anticipated revenue, "it is still larger. .. than the $247 million for FY 1997."

He said government revenues will continue to increase, but only by 2.5 to 3 percent instead of the 6 to 7 percent originally anticipated.

The governor blames the

"sharp" tax cut and "anti foreig!'} investment" measures passed by the Legislature, the current Asian currency crisis and the delay in the opening of the Tinian casino for the reduction in revenues.

But "the picture is not entirely bleak," he said.

There has been significant increases in actual collections, particularly in the garment user fee and CH C's revenues, Tenorio said.

He added that the new budget will still allow modest increases for most agencies, but it will be up to the incoming Legislature to decide where and how to distribute these gains.

A significant portion of CH C's money comes from employers paying for the medical expenses of their workers, he added.

··11 may not be fair to have the employer pay in all cases, but it is neverf air to burden the taxpayer," Tenorio said.

Movie House burglarized The governor also agrees with

the bill's critics who have said that S.B. I 0-4 may violate the federal Pregnancy Discrimination Act, and "could seriously weaken our defenses against a federal takeover of labor and immigration, and federalization of our minimum wage.

··one of our strongest arguments has been that (alien) workers receive full medical coverage while they are here ... , and that this helps


UNIDENTIFIED person/s reportedly vandalized Saipan's only movie theater and stole $1,000 cash Tuesday night.

Department of Public Safety Information Officer Maj. J. J. Castro said the owner of Movie House discovered the break-in when he found the door was pried open.

Castro said the suspect/s sprayed the walls near the ticket booth with fire extinguisher.

Candies were also scattered all over the floor, Castro said.

Police said the money inside the cash register and some candies were stolen.

Investigators believe that the suspect/s gained entry by opening the vintillation on the roof.

Police placed the case under further investigation.

Meanwhile, a 44-year-old man was arrested for assaulting another person with a wooden chair and rock atKoblervilleresidence Tues-

Introducing the All New

day afternoon. Wen Leng Chen was arrested

for assault with a dangerous weapon and assault and battery.

The victim, described as 48-ycar-old male Chinese, was taken to the Commonwealth Health Center for injuries.

Police said priorto the assault, the victim approached Chen and asked him to pay money_

The suspect instead punched the victim and hit him with a rock and chair.

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FRIDAY, JANUARY 9, 1998-MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VIEWS-9

• a1rpo ute By Rick Alberto Variety News Staff

THE Commonwealth Utilities Corp. contributes the biggest share

· of Saipan 's air pollution, the director of the Division of Environmental Quality said Wednesday.

John I. Castro Jr. said this is so because it operates the biggest power generatqrs on the island.

The CUC had been cited for its emissions "many times" by the US Environmental Protection Agency, Castro said.

The CUC, he said, has hired a consultant to do the "air modeling" of CUC power plants and to analyze the toxicity of the smoke

. emissions from cue power plants.

RP's most popular fruit is 'barred' at points of entry

By Aldwin R. Fajardo Variety News Staff

WHILE PHILIPPINE mangoes can easily reach out to European fruit lovers, the country's favorite fruit is having a hard time penetrating the Northern Marianas market.

This, even as G:NM!residents have previously been quoted as saying that Philippine mangoes are among the best.

One Chamorro woman randomly asked by the Variety quipped she loves Philippine mangoes but cannot find the fruit in store shelves on the island.

"Why can't we have Philippine mangoes here," she asked.

The Philippine Consulate has admitted thar it is harder to ship local magoes here despite the existence of a prospective market in the Marianas for the fiuit.

Philippine Consul Julia Heidemann explained that the Philippine mangoes have been regulated by the US Department of Agriculture and negotiations are needed to ship the local fruit toCNMI. .

"It is regulated by the US agriculture department, so maybe, it needs a harder negotiation with the Department to be done in Washington,''. Heidemann said.

She added that shipment of mangoes to the CNMI should not pe a problem considering the islands' proximity lo the Philippines.

" ... unlike when I was in Europe, we had a problem transporting the mangoes. It has to be by plane, here you can do it by boat," Heidemann stressed.

She also said that even when the Philippine mangoes cost $3 per piece, there was no restrictions from the customs and the Europeans "just love having the fro it."

At the same time, the Consul said her office has been identifying specific products which can be fused in to the CNMI market, and the ways to let Philippine goods in.

Vice Consul Rone!! Santos previously said the existing trade relations between the Philippine and the CNMI governments is giving Philippine-made products a chance to compete with foreign and native goods.

Santos said this is evident in the presence of various Philippine

· commodities in different groceries and supermarkets in Saipan, Tinian and Rota.

"We have been identifying products that have good poten-

Grade schools enjoy the slides at the Garapan Elem. School playground. Pho1o by Lallo C. Younis

The consultant is al so supposed to recommend remedies to be done.

"The recommendations could be raising the ·stack higher and changing the fuel," Castro said.

Castro said, though, that the CUC.generators have shifted from oil to diesel fuel, which reduces the toxicity emitted into the air.

Julia Heidemann

tials to penetrate the local market. The basic aspect of trade promotion is to find a market for a particular product," he told the Variety.

But Santos said he is not discounting the fact that a large percentage of the population in the Marianas is dominated by the Filipino~. which have resulted to a bigger demand for Philippine goods.

He said the Consulate's trade promotion office is continuously providing information to Philippine-based businessmen on who to contact in CNMI for their products.

Castro also said that for the past year, the DEQ hm;l been requiring private power generators to seek permit.

Hundreds of business establishments, including hotels and garments factories, use their own generators.

"We are requiring all companies to submitan application. We

will not permit them until they submit to us information including what kind of emission they (generators) have," Castro said.

In the ca<;e of the CUC, Castro said the DEQ doesn't regulate it al present. but that if the new local statute which is the counterpart of the federal Clean Air Act is enacted, then"CUCwill be regulated."

DEQ marine water report 11IEDMSION ofEnvironmen

tal Quality (DEQ) analyzed water samples collected from Saipan 's recreational beaches and storm water drainages this week as part of the regularly scheduled sampling.

The samples collected from · DrainagesSouthofPIC Hotel contained excessive concentration of fecal coliform bacteria and/ or chemistry parameters which exceeded the CNMI Marine Water Quality Standards, the DEQ said in an advisory High concentrations of Fecal ColifolTils may be the result of high sutf conditions or sto!Tilwater runoff due to rain storms. F.ecal ColifolTil bacteria are not usually

disease causing. Thebacteriacanindicatethepres

ence of human and animal waste in the water. Studies have shown that storm water runoff in tropical environments may also contain fecal coliform bacteria from the natuml environment.

In order to adequate] y address public health conce1m, DEQ maintains its policy of advising the public not to fish or swim within 300 feet of these locations within 48 hours of this notice.

DEQ welcomes all inquiries as to the quality of the beach water. The publicisencow-agcdtocontactDEQ at 234-6114 with any questions concerning this matter. ·

e WANTED

ISLAND

SALES ASSOCIATE . . QUALIFICATIONS: Male 2..J Female

Must own car / outgoing personality / with sales experience/ self motivated & confident

APPARR Interested applicants should submit their application Airport Road · with resume to Maristela Caraig.

(a~ross Keico Molars) NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE.

Getting Tired Of The Same Food?

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At The MAGELLAN ROOM

Buffet Style Brunch Regular Price

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10-MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VIEWS-FRIDAY- JANUARY 9, 1998

A TEAM of .FEMA inspectors arrived in Saipan Wednesday, to begin to address the long-term recovery costs of repairing and replacing the typhoon-damaged CNMI infrastructure. Roads, bridges, public facilities and utilities arc just some of the items

eligible for reimbursement under the Public Assistance program, according to Federal Coordinating Officer, William L. Carwile.

"Our first concern in a major recovery is individuals and families," said Carwile. "Once we get the individual assistance programs

English, Math tests reset for Tuesd·ay ENGLISH and math placement tests for new students at Northern Marianas College have been rescheduled to Tuesday,. January 13 because of the inaug.uration ceremonies Monday. These free tests are required for new students seeking degrees.

who needs special testing arrangements should contact Jamie Sefiane at 235-3253 or at her office by early Tuesday morning at the latest.

The next Math Placement Test will be administered Tuesdayfrom5:30-6:45 p.m. in rooms A-7 & 8. Those who need special testing arrangements should contact Grisha Stewart at 234-5498, ext. 1205, or stop by her office.

The next English Placement Test will be administered on Tuesday from 1-4 p.m. in Rm. A-8. Anyone

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off the ground, we then tum to assessing the cost ofrestori ng and repairing a goverment's infrastructure."

With the Presidential disaster declaration for Keith and Paka, affected local jurisdictions working through the Commonwealth government, are eligible to apply

for federal funds to pay 75 percent of the cost for repairing or replacing damaged public facilities such as roads, bridges and utilities.Funding may also be provided to repair damage to facilities owned by some private, nonprofit organizations including fire departments, certain educational

institutions, and other facilities that provide public functions such as day-care or senior centers.

To assist public agencies in applying for funding, officials from the CNMI and f:EMA announced they will be conducting a series of briefing for potential applicants in the near future.

Licop sentenced to 13 months By Rick Alberto Variety News Staff

A FILIPINO charged with trafficking over 15 grams of 99 percent pure crystal methamphetamine, or ice, was sentenced yesterday to a light prison term of one year and one day because of his cooperation with the government in the stamping out of the drug menace.

Ricardo S. Licop could have been sentenced to a minimum of five years, District Judge Alex R. Munson said.

"Because he chose to cooperate with the government, the court is mindful that this is the first step to rehabilitation by accepting re-

sponsibility," Munson said. The offense and the amount of

the controlled substance also carried a maximum term of 40 years.

Licop, a maintenance worker, was indicted for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute a controlled substance; possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance; and distribution of a controlled substance.

Under a plea agreement, Licop was charged only with ice distribution, to which he pleaded guilty. The two other counts were dismissed on recommendation of the US government:

Munson directed Licop to par-

ticipate in a substance abuse program and to obtain a high school diploma while in prison.

After his rele;ise, Licop, according to Munson, is to be delivered to an Immigration official for deportation.

If deportation. doesn't take place, however, Licop will be under supervised release for four years, subject to standard and special conditions.

During the sentencing; Munson sent out a warning to individuals who might be predisposed to engaging in drug distribution because of the easy job and good money.

"If you get caught, you 'II go to prison," Munson said.

Ex-cQnvict guilty of.gun raps.· By Ferdie de la Torre Variety News Staff

THE SUPERIOR Court has convicted one of three ex-convicts charged for illegal possession of firearms and ammunitions in 1996.

Associate.Judge Timothy Bellas accepted the plea of defendant Mar.tin Evangelista Reyes of Dandan Homestead.

Reyes along with Juan Masga Delos Santos and Steven Cabrera Teregeyo was charged with illegal possession of firearms and ammunitions and transfer and transfer of illegal firearms and arnmuni.tions.

Reyes and counsel Michael Dotts entered into a plea agreement with

the government represented by Assistant Atty. Gen. James Norcross.

Reyes pleaded guilty to illegal possession. In return, Norcross recommended the dismissal of the remaining charge.

Following a plea agreement, Bellas during Wednesday's hearing sentenced Reyes to one year imprisonment with credit for time served i11 jail.

Bellas said the sentence shall run concurrent with the possible penalty to be imposed by the federal court against Reyes in similar case.

By concurrent means the de-

PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS RFP 98-002: School Food Service Privatization

The CorJ)monweatth of lhe ·Northern Maria.na Islands Pub.fie School Syslem is soliciling compet1t1ve sealed proposals from qual1f1ed Food Service Management Companies (FSMC) for the operation (preparation, delivery, serving and clean-up at school cafeterias) of the School Breakfast and Lunch Program and Head Start Meal Programs for Tinian Rota, and Saipan schools for school year 1998-1999, '

The proposal must address the essential requirements to furnish breakfast and lunch to students attending certain schools on the island of Saipan, Tinian and Rota A copy of the RFP package and additional information will be available on or after December 19, 1997 and maybe picked upat the Procurement and SupplyOffJCe,3rd floor Nauru Buikling, Susupe, Saipan during regular working hours except Holidays. For more information, all interested parties may contact Mr. Jess Sanchez, Food Services Program Administrator or Ms. Tina Pham, PSS Nutritionist of the Food Services Program at telephone numbers 664-3709/06/18.

All proposals must te sealed and face marked 'RFP98-002: Food Seivices Privatization" 811? submitted to the PSS Procurement & Supply Office, 3rd floor Nauru Building, Susupe, Sa1pan no later than 2:00 p.m., Monday, February 2, 1998.

A pre-bid conference will be held on Wednesday, January 7, 1998 al 2:00 p.m. at the PSS Procurement &Supply Office, 3rd floor Nauru Building, Susupe,Saipan. All questions pertaining to this RFP must be submitted in wrtting to the Food Service Program 4th Floor of th.e Nauru B~ilding, Susupe, Saipan no later lhan 4:00 p.m., Monday, January 5, 1998. Written questions may also be faxed to The Food Service Program al 664-3717. Responses will be issued out during the Pre-Bid Conrerence.

The public School System reserves the right to award on a single or multiple awards or ;a. reJect any a~~ all proposals for any r~~son and waive any defect(s) in said proposals, 1f in tts sole op1mon lo do so would be in its test interest of the Public School System.

ls/WILLIAMS. TORRES Commissioner of Education

/s/ LOUISE C. CONCEPCION Chief, Procurement & Su f

fendant shall serve his jai I term simultaneous with his penalty to be imposed by the US District Court.

Norcross said the case against Reyes' cohorts-Delos Santos and Teregeyo--were already disposed of by the Superior Court following a plea agreement.

Court information showed that the defendants were arrested at the parking lot of the Pacific Islands Club in San Antonio on Oct. 23, 1996.

The three were found in possession of five rifles and assorted ammunitions and counterfeit money, court records indicated.

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FRiDAY)ANUARY.9, i998 -MARIANAS VARiETY NEWS AND VIEWS~il

Leaders take oath Monday By Aldwin R. Fajardo Variety News Staff

THE PEOPLE of Northern Marianas will get the chance to reach out to their leaders in a grand celebration during the inauguration ceremonies of the CNMI government's new leadership on January 12.

Monday's activity was said to be one of the grandest gathering of the Pacific's highest and influentials, notwithstanding the anticipated arrival of a powerful delegation from the United States mainland.

The list of dignitaries and offisland guests was not irrunediately available, as the Transition Committee chairpersons were still finalizing the programs when the Variety called.

Pomp and pageantry are believed to mark the inauguration ceremonies for the new CNMI administration, headed by Governor-Elect Pedro P. Tenorio and Lt. Governor-Elect Jesus R. Sablan.

Before the main event on Monday ,aFriendshipGolfTournament, a match betw.een off-island guests and residents, will take place ·on Sunday at the Lau Lau Golf Course.

A cocktail party for dignitaries and off-island guests will follow in the evening at the Hyatt Regency Hotel.

A mass at 8:00 a.m., which will be officiated at the Mount Carmel Cathedral, will start off Monday's inaugural activities .

Inauguration ceremonies for the newly-elected CNMiofficials will be held at the ampitheater of the American Memorial Park at 10:00 a.m.

· The inauguration rites will highlight a grand island fiesta at the memorial park;where food for at least 3,000 people will be served.'

The Transition Committee is.encouraging CNMI residents to attend the mass, theinaugurationrites and the grand island fiesta for an opportunity-to laugh and smile with the islands' new leaders.

And as if this is not yet enough, guests will be treated to a ballroom dance party at the Diamond Hotel, though the Transition Committee said this is exclusive for off-island and invited guests.

Observers said the outcome of the in:iugurnl activities will probably reflect the kind of government awaiting residents of the Northern Mariana Islands.

Though it may seem difficult for the new administration at first, since it is reportedly inheriting a cashstrapped government, the people are confident everything will be stabilized.

Hard work For the new CNMI administra

tion, Monday's inauguration ceremonies will mark the beginning of a "need-lo-work-hard" term in office, as reports claim the government is bankrupt.

In previous reports, Transition committee chairman Dr. Jose T. Villagomez said there may be a need to shake off "a lot of fats" since this is the only way the new CNMI leadership can survive its first fiscal year.

The Teno-Peperoadministration

Pedro P. Tenorio

has been reported to be turned-over with a bloated government which suffers from serious financial crisis due to poor revenue collection, unnecessary spending and economic slump.

Economic woes What will make it even harder

for the new CNMI administration, other than the large budgetary shortfall, is the existing currency turmoil in Asia which has already affected Marianas' tourism indus-

Jesus R. Sablan

try. Economists have predicted that

the cur:rency crisis will last for at least several months more this year, this would mean lesser visitor arrivals and lower revenues for the CNMI.

They said the continuous plunge of Asian currency against the US dollar will discourage movements, which will have a great effect of the future of CNMI's tourism sector.

Economists explained that as the

Dr. Jose T. Villagomez

US dollar gains strength against cunencies in the 1egion, traveling becomes more expensive for the Japanese and the Koreans - who comprise the bulk of NMI's visitors.

Japanese tourists dominate the number of visitors on the Island.

· The proximity of Saipan to Japan, where travel time can be compared to that of the United States east coast with the islands of Carri bean, is making the Marianas an appealing destination for Japanese travel-

lers especially during the winter months. ·

But it is not going to be an all-out difficult time for the Marianas economy, since the currency crisis in Asia would bring in cheaper import commodities for the Commonwealth people.

111is was predicted to take place in the next three to six months, since the Northern Marianas has been importing much of its goods from countries in the Asia-Pacific Region, which are experiencing financial crisis with the continuous appreciation of the dollar against local currencies.

CNMI was also expected to experience lower inflation rate as a 1esult of the importation of cheaper goods with the cunent tmde in the money bourse, in three to six months.

The CNMI economy has been enjoying a low inflation rate compared with other economies in the Asia-Pacific region. In fact, the Northern Mariana Islands has never had a double-digit inflation rate in its history.

ll·i···

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JlPANESI IOOD lUNCB IUIJIT January 11 (Sunday) •

• NIGIRISUSHI (Tuna, Shrimps, Squid) • SASHIMI (Tuna, Squid, Local Shr,· "'' • TEMPURA (Shrimps, Fish, \if'":' • TEPPAN, GRILL (Sirloin Ste • SUKIYAKI, SHABUSHABU •·NIMONO (Taro, Fish, Suno • NOODLES (Cold Soumen, • RICE (Rice Balls, Takikomi, Oka • SOUP (Miso Soup, Clea Soup) • FRUITS (Melon, Pineapple,: • SALAD (Tomato, Asparagus,

KANMI (Jelly, Mizugashi, Japane DRINKS (Beer, Orange, Pineappl

~5 (Sunday) \'i.. _r::§

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'12-MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VIEWS-FRIDAY- JANUARY 9. 1998

Young musicians to grace inaugural A GROUP of young musical artists· from Japan will perform for the new CNMI administration after the inauguration ceremonies at the American Memorial Park on Monday.

Marimba J>onies, an internationally renowned music

group of IO young percussionists ranging from 4-12 years, is also scheduled to wow audiences at the Hafa-Adai Hotel's Fiesta Hall on Tuesday, January 13, from 4-5:30 p.m.

Marimba Ponies are not using music sheets or conduc-

tors, since they have memorized their music completely. The music flows out of the children's instruments through the use of their own individual rhythms and emotions.

Music lovers who wish to witness Marimba Ponies'

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In respo11$e to many requests, Coconut Jf.ouse ~tauro.nt woufa EikJ; to introauce to you tlieir ...

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every Sunday from 11 :00 am to 8:00 pm

In addition to the regular Mongolian Barbecue freshly served, enjoy this opportunity or dining with us once again.

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Cfo my family, .!Friends and Supporters

~ 4'1Cl~"-Cl~..,.r.,~ ~C::,.,. "*tel~"' a .. ~~~.. a (I, I ~ a }fat are cordia[[y invited to the a ". INAUGURAUJ£:CEREMONY 11~

r ,, Eleventh Northern Mari@uis .c;ommonwealth Legislature fJ r2 ·· at 10 o'dock.a.m. 111.1 Monday. January 12, 1998 a ~

at the Honorab!.. e ]esr(S P. Mafaas Memorial Building ''I) Capitol Hill Saipan

' '3::,.:-C~~rJ::w~~tJ~C~C Ghilisow, Si J?u 'us Ma 'ase and 'thank you!

r/{ep. Malua '[ <Peter

highly-acclaimed performances on the group's Tuesday concert may call 322-8781/8784 for reservations.

The group has performed in SRO crowds in its previous concerts at Carnegie Hall and Apollo Theater in New York.

The group has also played at the Vienna Musikverein and the Warsaw chopin Music Academy.

The prancing animation of the young musicians is where they sourced out their name, Ponies.

Gov. Froilan C. Tenorio at work at the Governor's official residence yesterday. Tenorio yields the reins of government to Gov.-elect PeteP. Tenorio.

Inauguration schedule of events January 11 - Sunday

10:30a.m. Inauguration Friendship Golf Grune 12:30-4:30 p.m. Ladies Tour 6:30p.m. Cocktail

Lau Lau Golf Course

Hyatt Regency for Off-island Guests

January 12 - Monday 8:00a.m. Red Mass 10:00 a.m. Inaugural Ceremony 12:00 noon Luncheon 12:00-2:00 p.m. Entertainment 6:30p.m. Inaugural Ball

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. FRIDAY, JANUARY 9, 1998 -MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VIEWS'.13

NMI welcomes USS Blue Ridge By Gerr R. Cayabyab, Jr. Variety News Staff

NINE HUNDRED enlisted persoilne I and 90 officers on board United States Navy Ship USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19) received a warijl welcome yesterday afternoon, in a ceremonies attended by government officials led by outgoing Gov. Froilan C. Tenorio.

The ceremoh ies officially started at 5:30 in the afternoon when the Navy officers led by Commander-in-Chief Pacific Fleet Vice Admiral Robert J. Natter and· Blue Ridge Commimding Officer Captain David K. Meier disembarked from the ship. Ms. Saipan '97 Melanie Sebatan led others in putting lei.

Governor Tenorio, in his welcoming remarks, said, "It is a great honor to extend traditional island hospitality Lo you,all, and it is always a great pleasure to welcome also Rear Admiral Martin E. Janczak, the Commander of the U.S. Naval Forces, to the Northern Marianas."

He recalled that when the Navy comes to Saipan, it is like meeting.old, old friends.

"We have a very special feeling for the U.S. Navy. Fifty three years ago, it was the U.S. Navy that brought the first Americans to our. shores and helped liberate our islands," he s~id.

After the war, Tenorio said, it was again the.administration of .the U.S. Navy that "introduced us to American ways."

"And every July 4th until 1995, it was the Navy band that comes up from Guam and reminded us of what freedom is all about," Tenorio stated. "We are all delighted that our old

· friends, the U.S. Navy, will be with us for the next three days."

Tenorio also said the visit giyes the opportunity to express gratitude to the young men and women who ably defended the country.

He wished all the sailors a memorable and enjoyable visit, and hope the ship will be back.

Vice Adm. Natter, for his part, thanked the CNMI government and the people for the wonderful welcome and hospitality.

"This is not very first visit to Saipan. I coul<.I tell you that I've been very excited about the prospects of coming to this beautiful island and I know that the crew and the officers behind me have been equally excited about the prospects," Natter said.

Natter said the decision to come to Saipan was made for two reasons.

"Number one, 1 have heard about the kind and warm hospitality that had been provided to two ships that had visited here last year and I was so impressed with the reports I rcccived from

the Commanding Officer of those ships. So, I am here to see for myself and enjoy it for myself. Number two, is to renew the bond established 53 years ago. Anyone who has been in the Navy or the Marine Co~ps knows that Saipan is a very prestigious and very important place in our history," Natter said.

Natter said many more Navy ships should come to visit Saipan.

"Our visit here also demonstrates the U.S. commitment to regional security espcially the regions throughout the Pacifi~," the Vice Admiral stressed. ·

"As a Pacific nation," Natter noted, "we think ii is very important that our stability be maintained here and we think that the Navy and the Marine Corps and indeed the U.S. military contribute significantly to that stability that we've all been enjoying for the past 50 years." The ship will be open to the public starting today. and until

Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. USS Blue Ridge officers and crew join CNMI government officials in saluting the CNMI National Anthem at a we/come ceremony for the US Navy yesterday at Charlie Dock. Photo by Laila C. Younis

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Gov't, rebels near peace pact MANILA, Pµilippines (AP) ~ The government and communist rebels are close to concluding an agreement on human rights and international humanitarian law, the chief government negotiator -said Thursday.

Howard Dee said the two sides "essentially reached agreement on most of the human rights provi-

sions, except for certain issues" that the two panels y;ould try to resolve later Thursday.

Negotiators have met for 2 1/2 days in the Netherlands, where rebel leaders live.

Both sides earlier aired optimism that the latest round of talks would lead to a signing of the human rights agreement, the first

of four accords that could lead to a political settlement ending three decades of insurgency.

In a statement, Dee said one "contentious" provision being pushed by the rebels is the inclusion of provisions of a Geneva convention that sets out the rules of conduct of conflict between two sovereign states.

SUB-SPECIALIST COMING TO SAIPAN HEAL TH CLINIC!!!

DR. SONNY· WONG Bqard Certified Cardiologist", will be available for cardiology consultations . . at Saipan Health Clinic on January 15-16, 1998 .

Those interested must have a current EKG Report available before appointment.

For more information or appointment, please call 234-2901.

Weekdays: 8:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Saturday: 9:00 a.m. to 1~00 p.m.

We accept most health insurance, including Gov't Health Insurance Plan, credit cards, checks, and cash for services rendered.

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He said this would impinge on the government's constitutional sovereignty.

"Acc~pting these provisions would imply that the agreement would be between two high contracting parties or sovereign states," Dee said.

The government has avoided any indication that it is gra~ting a "status of belligerency" to the rebels, maintaining that the rebellion is an internal conflict and not a full-fledged civil war.

The rebels, however, have said they have won this status and do not need outright recognition by the government.

There was no immediate statement from the rebels, who are represented in the talks by the National Democratic Front.

The front groups 14 Marxist organizations, including the Communist Party of the Philippines and its military arm, the New

People's Army. Rebel spokesmen have said that

NDF negotiator Luis J alandoni is willing to sign the human rights agreement in Manila as a gesture of good will to improve the climate for the success of the talks.

The on-and-off talks began in 1992.

The government has encouraged rebel negotiators to hold the talks in Manila, but they have refused, citing security worries.

The members of the rebel panel live in self-exile in the Dutch city of Utrecht and their"consultants" from the Philippines have been given safe conduct passes to travel.

The communist rebellion began in the late 1960s and reached its peak in the mid-1980s.

Since then, rebel ranks have thinned because of battle casualties, surrenders and factionalism .

.

Largest RP coconut producer shuts .plant

. . . '

OROQUIETA, Philippines (AP)-The Philippines' larg-· est dessicated coconut producer has been forced to shut down its main plant after landowners occupied the factory com- · pound, compan·y officials said Thursday.

The landowners, claiming a 25-year lease with Fiesta Brands on their property has expired, erected barbed wire fences and barricades around the 3-hectare (7-acre) plot last week.

About 50 people, including children, have put up tents and called in relatives from the military to block. workers from entering the compound in Oroquieta City in Misamis Occidental province, about 730 kilometers ( 455 miles) south of Manila.

Police have been sent to the area to prevent violence. The plant, which employs about 1,200 workers, was shut

down for regular maintenance in December but was unable to . reopen as scheduled Jan. 2 when the landowners occupied

the property. Encarnacion Lomantas, a spokesman for the landowners,

said they want the company to buy the property for about 233 million pesos ($ 5.24 million) or leave. ·

"We will utilize this land for farming," he said. They rejected the company's offer to lease the property for

another 25 years for 30,000 pesos ($ 675) a month. . In Manila, Henry Raperoga, company vice.president for

finance and administration,· said that based on prevailing rates in the area, the property is only worth about 8. 7 million. pesos($ 196,483). . Raperoga said the company actually has four more years on Its lease and the occupation is illegal. · ·

The landowners are defying a court order to leave, he added.

He said the company has sought negotiations. with Lomantas, who allegedly has refused.

"All we are asking is the rule of law," Raperoga said. The company normally produces 90,000 pounds (36,000

kilograms) of dessicated coconut daily at the Oroquieta plant. · ,

Another plant in nearby Misamis Oriental province produces 60,000 pounds (24,000 kilograms) a day, enough to meet the company's export commitments, Raperoga said.

The company exports to the United States, Japan, Australia and Europe.

Dessicated coconut is used for making chocolate candies confectioneries and bakei·y products. '

The Philippines earned an average$ 74.7 million annually from dessicated coconut exports from 1987 to 1996 and has accounted for about 43 percent of the world market for the past five years.

Buckle-Up Saipan, Ifs the law

'/.:, . ') 1•i1·

' . ·,. . .. - . . . . . . . ... - .. - - ... - ..... , . . .......... ' . . . - . . . , '~·


C promotes loan program By Gerr R. Cayabyab, .,Jr. Variety News Staff

THE NORTHERN Marianas Housing Corporation is now offering its clients a program that may help achieve economic independence and selfsufficiency, NMHC Program .and Housing Manager Norman K. Pangelinan said yesterday.

Pangelinan said that through education, employment or job training under the Family SelfSufficiency Program, participants will ·be motivated to identify their preferred career

.. ..

" a <>

goals. Among other motivations in

which applicants will benefit include the following:

* The identification of the barriers which prevent the achievement of the goals;

* Identification of resources and services necessary for participants' success;

* Development of An Action Plan to achieve specific goals and objectives necessary for self-sufficiency and economic independence;

* The support services re-

lated to their plan; and * The case management ser

vices, encouragement and moral support.

According to Pangelinan, under section 8 or Public Housing Resident Family, pa;. ticipant must be 18 years of age or older.

He said that participating FSS families are required to sign a contract of participation with the NMHC.

"Participating qualified family members of the family has up to five years to com-

plete specific goals and objectives they have established for themselves in their individual action plan," Pangelinan said.

Pangelinan explained that the contract of participatio·n outlines the rights and responsibilities·of the family during the participation in the said. program.·

He noted that in order for. the FSS parti~ipant to successfully accomplish the goals and objectives in the action plan, a participant will need to ad-

dress the barriers that prevent success.

To address a wide variety of barriers, Pangelinan said, the program provides for collaboration with local agencies and service providers.

Among the issues that possibly serve as barriers include child care, transportation, education (high school diploma, GED, community college or four-year degree), financial planning and budgeting, legal services and career counseling.

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Manila Mayor shuts money shops MANILA, Philippines (AP) - Police shut dozens o.f money changers in Manila Thursday. saying they were responsible for the peso's rapid decJine against the U.S. dollar.

'They accused us of eco-nomic sabotage and of hoard

. ing dollars,"'said the proprietor of one closed shop, who spoke on condition of anonymity. "That's crazy."

Tiie peso -has plunged by about 40 percent against the dollar since July, when an Asian-wide currency crisis began ..

Manila has an estimated 300 money changers, which typically offerratcs that arc slightly better than banks· but are sometimes accused of shortchanging customers.

supply of dollars. Demand fordollars has been

heavy as companies needing to repay dollar loans have tried to acquire the U.S. currency before it appreciates further.

But banks and others have been reluctant to sell dollars because they also expect it to more higher .

Bagallonsaid all of the city's money changers would be closed by Friday.

"All their permits will be canceled. We will arrest those who contin~e to operate," he said.

Lim, who is running for president in elections this May, said the closures "in a little way may help to strengthen ourpeso."

He accused the money changers of accepting dollars from customers but refusing to sell them.

Police nailed boards across entrances and posted signs saying the shops had been shut under orders from Mayor Alfredo Lim.

Lim also led a campaign in 1993 to shutter hundreds of go-go bars in downtown Manila.

Luisa de/ Monte, who sells imported cigarettes, reads a newspaper while waiting for costumers Thursday on a Manila sidewalk. With the present currency woes being experienced by the country, the Philippine government has appealed to citizens to buy locally-produced goods and to sell their dollars to prevent the further decline of the peso, which has depreciated by about 40 percent against the dollar since July 1997.

The closures are intended "to stop hoarding and dollar black marketing, which contributes to thedowngrnding of ourcum:ncy," he said.

Money changers are often used by small companies orfamiliesof overseas workers who send money home, while large companies generally use banks for foreign exchange needs.

''Most of these establishments have permits," Manila

police Capt. Florentino Bagallon said of the money changers, many of which are located in the same area as the former go-go bars.

"But bec,iuse of an ordinance by the government of Manila, we will close these establishments because the Manila government

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believes that they have helped in the depreciation of the currency."

Traders say the peso has faJ.len recently because of an inadequate

Gov't raises minimum wage for metro Manila's workers MANILA, Philippines (AP) - The government and private-sector wage board decided Thursday to increase the minimum daily wage for workers in metropolitan Manila by 13 pesos to l 98 pesos (29 cents to$ 4.45).

"The workers will definitely reject this," said Alex Aguilar, spokesman of the conservative Trade Union Congress of the Philippines, one of the country's largest labor federations.

The federa-tion had requested a 40-peso (90-cent) increase while left-wing unions demanded at least l 00 pesos($ 2.25).

Labor Secretary Leonardo Quisumbing defended the 7 percent increase, saying inflation should be used to decide wage increases, not currency exchange rates.

Inflation averaged 5. l percent in 1996 and 6.1 percent in December.

The Philippines and other countries in Southeast Asia have been suffering from a currency crisis that has swept the region. Since July, the peso has fallen by about 40 percent against the U.S. dollar.

Militant labor federations said they will protest the deci-

sion. The Regional Tripartite

Wages and Productivity Board said it based the increase on studies of wage rates, productivity and other conditions "in the light of the present economic crisis brought about by the currency and financial turmoil."

"Nobody will be happy with the increase," acknowledged Vicente Leogardo, director general of the Employers Confederation of the Philippines and a member of the wage board.

"Many employers are fighting for survival. On the other hand, labor wants more. Nobody knows when this crisis will end. The economic realities are that we have lo be careful and cautious in implementing a wage hike .... It's not a happy compromise," he said.

The board said there was a need to maintain the purchasing power of minimum wage earners against an erosion of their present wages.

However, it exempted estab-1 ishments with IO or fewer workers, "distressed" companies, and garment and textile companies that export at least 50 percent of their products.

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FRIDAY, JANUARY 9, 1998-MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VIEWS-17

Pacific states urged :

'Be tougher vs corruption' By Aldwin R. Fajardo Variety News Staff

STATES in the Pacific Islands may need to implement stricter anti-corruption laws, according to an international group advocating just and honest government.

The Berlin-based Transparency International said small Pacific Island States have "hopelessly inadequate" laws to curtail corruption. · Transparency chair Dr. Peter Eigen said there are several ways in which these insufficient anti-corruption laws should be strenghtened.

Eigen also said many countries all throughout the world may need to draft and enforce tougher and stricter anti-corruption laws.

He said this was concluded during the recent 8th International Anti-Corruption Conference in Lima, Peru.

"The conference was not a

Pohnpei Association on·Saipan has installed

THE POHNPEI Association on Saipan has installed new officers to lead the group for the New Year, a news release from the group said.

Following the election last Wednesday night at Garapan Elementary Sch9ol, the newly elected officers are: Alkantro Sarapio for the office of president; Joe Villazon-vice-president, Welson Saimon-Secretary, and Edwin BenjaminTreasurer.

Outgoing president Nick W. Benjamin declined to seek a third consecutive term due to family and school obligations, and as he jokingly put it "For fear that someone would take him to court" for seeking a third consecutive term.

He, however, kindly requested all members to lend their full support to the newly elected officers.

Benjamin is optimistic that this new group of officers will perform a superb job because it is well balanced in that each represe)lt the large Pohnpeian clans on island.

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witch-hunt and was careful to take account of international human rights norms. But delegates concluded that. many laws are unnecessarily complicated and make it easy for the corrupt to escape punishment," Eigen added.

He is urging governments to review their criminal laws to abolish any need to prove that an official who received an illegal gift actually gave favors in return.

Eigen also mentioned that there may be a need to require officials in positions to justify increases in their assets out off line with their legitimate sources of income.

Transparency Internatic,. ii has said there appears to be a widening of a rash of moves in the Pacific island states directed against just and honest government. · The group has national chap

ters in over 70 countries

throughout the world and is the leading global movement for just and honest government.

It noted the latest attacks on the office of the Ombudsman in Vanuatu as among the moves made against honest governments.

In Western Samoa, the organization said, the Constitution was changed simply to remove the auditor-general.

Transparency managing director Jeremy Pope, of New Zealand, claimed the change enabled the legislature to dismiss the auditor-general "for doing no more than his job."

The group said it has been campaigning fqr honest and independent watchdog institutions throughout the world as a key element of any system that hopes to be effective in controlling corruption.

Pope said actions such as those instigated against the office of the Ombudsman in Vanuatu lend support for the views that the region is suffering from a rash of incompetent and often corrupt administration.

He said it "was not a coincidence" that there were no na-· tional chapters for the organization in the small island states of the Pacific.

Pacific countries extend to more trading partners in the. region N U K U ' A L' 0 F A (Pacnews)-More Asian countries are seeking to trade more with Tonga and other countries in the Pacific.

A consultant from the Singaporean Trade Devel-

.opment Board Leon Khor is due in Tonga's capital Nuku'alofa this week to seek· potential import markets from the agricultural and fisheries sectors, Radio Tonga reported.

Possible areas of export

items to Asia include vanilla, fruit and vegetables, shark fins and tuna.

Khor will visit Fiji after spending two weeks in Tonga. He has visited Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu and Solomon Islands.

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18-MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VIEWS-FRIDAY-JANUARY 9, 1998

~lat• Elsewhere in the Pacific . Samoa exports

'Rabuka must go' ~(!en~)~'~'~''~'~'~~!,lio, In the interest of Fiji. says Labor Party

exports to October last year ($US83.3m) - five percent were valued at $31 million higher than for the same pe-(SUS 12m). riod of 1996.

SUVA (Pacnews)-The Fiji Labour Party has called on Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka to step down in the interest of the nation for lacking control over his min-isters.

Party President Jokapeci Koroi said Rabuka had lacked control on overseas trips taken by ministers, contradicting his earlier ruling on foreign travel, The Fiji Times reports.

Koroi (Ms) said most trips undertaken by the MPs and parliamentary staff were "a lucid example of how Rabuka has lost control of his ministers"_

The MPs are scheduled to attend three confereri.ces this month. The first group has left for a Presiding Officers and Clerks conference in Trinidad and Tobago, the West Indies.

The delegates include Vice

Sefa to offer Skate tapes for viewing PORT MORESBY (Pacriews)-Mujo Sefa, the man who taped the Skate Tapes, will be making himself available at a Cairns hotel soon for any Papua New Guinean who wishes to view the full tapes.

He said he has so far been questioned extensively by police, the Ombudsman Commission and the PNG Opposition about his role and who viewed the tapes, The National reports.

Sefa invited members of the government's independent bloc

in panicular to view the tapes and make up their minds about the Prime Minister's pan in the tapes.

He said the independent MPs had been defending the Prime Minister without questioning the evidence provided on the tapes.

Sefa said he would be moving from his Melboume home to a Cairns hote soon as his interviews with the police and other parties are concluded where he will make the tapes available.Sefa to offer Skate rapes for viewing.

President of the Senate Ratu Talemo Ratakele, Secretary to Parliament Mary Chapman and Speaker of the House of Representatives Dr Apenisa Kurisaqila.

Two other parliamentarianswill attend an Asia Paific Par-liamentary Union meeting in Taipei. Koroi questioned the relevance of these meetings to Fiji.

$55,000 for · PNG disaster

SUV A (Pacnews)-The Fiji government has set aside $55 000 ($US35 000) towards an appeal for funds to assist Papua New Guinea and the Cook Islands being affected by natural disasters.

Reacting to a report that the public appeal by Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka was almost a disaster, Secretary to Cabinet Jaji Kotobalavu said this was not true, The Fiji Times reports.

He said the government was to put$30000($US !9000)forPNG and $25 000 ($US 16 000) for the Cook Islands from a budget provision in the 1997 budget.

According to the latest fig- Private remittances was the ures released by the Central best earner for the country for Bank, fresh fish exports led the first IO months of last year, this total export value, record- at· $82 million ($US32m) -ing an increase of 47 percent which was 14 percent more over the same period to 1996. than for the same period of

Fish exports accounted for 1996. 28 percent or $8.7 million Tourism earnings was next ($US3.4m) of the total value of with $77 million ($US30m), exports for the period, copra 25 but this is 0.4 percent lower percent, coconut oil 20 percent, than to October 1996. coconut cream 12 percent, beer Net foreign assets went up and kava each contributing four $700 000 ($US300 000) to percent, says the bank. $138.6 million ($US54m) -

The bank's figures show that sufficient to cover 6.6 months to October last year, imports of imports.

-Radio station faces ax SUVA (Pacnews)-New Zealand's Labour opposition says Treasury is proposing the axing of Radio New Zealand's shortwave service to the Pacific.

Radio New Zealand International (RNZI) is run by RNZ but is funded out of the M.inistry of Foreign Affairs and Trade's budget at a cost of $NZ1.2 million ($US684,000), the Fiji Times reports. · Labour's Pacific Islands

affairs spokesman Taito Philip Field Wednesday said cabinet would later this month receive a paper recommending the service be axed.

RNZI was established in 1990 after growing concerns that New Zealand's voice in the Pacific was not being heard, at a time when the much more heavily resourcedRadioAustralia and BBC World Service were increasing their audiences in the region.

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FRIDA y: JANUARY 9, 1998 -MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VIEWS~i9

Cyclones batter South Pacific By ROBERT KEITH-REID

SUV A, Fiji (AP) -The devious progress of three simultaneous hurricanes that are battering islands in the South Pacific took yet another worrying twist Thursday, as Vanuatu and Fiji again came under threat.

While Cyclone Susan, revolving between Cyclone Ron to the east and Cyclone Katrina, bypassed the 360-island Fiji group with winds estimated at 180 mph (290 kph), the formerly harmless Cyclone Katrina moved away from the -east coast of Australia toward Vanuatu and intensified.

Ra jendra Prasad, Fiji's director of meteorology, said Katrina by Thursday lay midway between the 900-island Solomons group and 80-island Vanuatu.

It was tracking south and was likely to pass over Vanuatu, Prasad said.

On Tuesday, Cyclone Susan thrashed Vanuatu, killing a woman when an uprooted coconut tree fell on her, but caused no major damage.

Due to the interaction of the three cyclones, Katrina's future track could be erratic and_ might later curve southeast toward the 360-island Fiji group, Prasad said.

Vanuatu, whose islands insi:;ired the late James Mitchener to write "Tales of the South Pacific," got a relative!/ light beating Tuesday from the exceptionally wide-reaching Cyclone Susan, which then intensified as it moved toward Fiji on Wednesday with winds estimated up to 185 mph (300 kph).

Fiji's 790,000 people had a nervous night Wednesday, bracing against the possibility of Susan's turning to blast the main islands of Viti Levu with what Prasad said would have possibly been the most violent winds ever experienced.

But by dawn Thursday, Fiji's radio stations were reporting Susan would pass about 215 miles (350 km) southeast of Viti Levu by midday on a track that would steer it clear of the main islands.

Small islands in eastern Fiji wen~ warned to expect gale

·NtsB to fioltr hearingon ' Guam·cras.h · · ·

WASHINGTON (AP) - A public hearing on last summer's crash of Korean Air Flight 801 will be held March 24-26 in Hawaii, the National Transportation Safety Board announced Wednesday.

The KAL Boeing 747 crashed as it approached the airport at Agana, Guam, on Aug. 6, 1997, killing 228 of the 254 passengers and crew aboard.

The hearing, to collect information on the cause of the disaster, will be held at the Honolulu Convention Center.

force winds, however, while ships were warned tnat winds estimated at 175 mph (280 mph) would be encountered near the cyclone's center, Prasad said.

Cyclone Susan had peaked, was losing force and was on track to fizzle out harmlessly to the sou th of Fiji a!]d Tonga.

Hurricane Ron, after causing some damage to Wallis and Futuna, a French colony, and northern Tonga, was also losing force and moving away from Tonga.

Prasad said the passage simultaneously of three hurricanes through the South Pacific was unusual but not unprecedented.

A hurricane struck part of Tahiti and the northern Cook Islands in November, causing several deaths and heavy damage in the Cooks.

The _South Pacific hurricane season runs normally from November to April with December-February as the time of highest risk.

[Iii.tit PRC )

Tama Holloway, 21, is shown in this composite of 3 photos, jumping from the 100 foot high Hunua Falls East of A~ckland, New Zealand. Four men have died doing similar jumps from this and other waterfalls after copying the stunt they had seen on a television advertisement for a fruit juice. AP

., ESTE NA BUD PARA HAGU TAOTAO COMMONWEALTH I

20-MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VIEWS FRIDAY-JANUARY 9. 1998

RPstockst MANILA, Philippines (AP) -Philippine stocks fell to their lowest level in 4 1/2 years Thursday, with investors shrugging off repeated a~surances from the government that the country's economic fund:unentals remain sound. traders said.

"It's a complete breakdown of con. fidence in the Philippine economy," said Edgar Banco:!, senior analyst for Paribas Asia Equity Securities Philippines Inc.

The 30-share Philippine Stock Exchange Index plunged91.49points, or5.2percent, to 1,655.85,according to preliminary data.

It was the index's lowest level since July 20, 1993.

On Wednesday, it fell 73.26point~. or 4 percent ·

Newspaper reports of possible massive layoffs on the back of the country's economic and financial ills sparked a wave of selling, traders said.

Business and government leaders have warned that manufacturers may have to cut their workforces to cope with the rising cost of capital caused by high interest rates and the depreciation of the peso against the dollar.

Traders said sellers far outnum-

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bered buyers in the market. "It doesn't take much anymore to

pull down the market due (o the thin volume of trades. The attitude now is just get out of the market. TI1ere' s too much doubt over the country's economic prospects," said an analyst for a foreign brokerage house who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Traders said not even the strong showing of the peso against the dollar early ·Thursday improved Manila stocks' fortunes. The peso averaged 44.986 pesos per dollar at midday compared to its record-low 45.420

eplu11ge peso average on Wednesday.

The peso's strength was mainly due to the launch of a new system aimed at providing security for companies with unhedged dollar loans, traders said.

Demand for dollars has been heavy in 1ecent weeks as companies needing to 1epay dollar loans have uie<l to acqui1e the U.S. cwrency before it appreciates further. .

Under the new so-called non-deliverable frnward facility, corporate brnmwers can lock into a pie-determined exchange rate bm;ed on a cen-

tntl bank calculation using commercial bank interest rates.

This will protect companies paying off debt with dollars from shrup fluctuations in the peso-dollar rate when their loan matures.

Traders said the system is helping to ease the dollar shrntage by itllowing banks to sell dollars without fear of being short-changed later. ·

One trnder said central bank Governor Gabriel Singson's comment late W e<lnesday that the peso is unde1valued may also have added to the calm sentim~nt in the market.

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Traders curiously monitor the index at the Philippine Stocks Exchange with the electronic board in background displaying a downtrend at suburban Makati city during a slow trading Wednesday. At the close of the day the 30-share Philippine Stock Exchange index fell 73.26 points or 4.0 percent to 1,747.34. AP

C!Commonhlealtb Wtiltties (!Corporation

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS CUC-RFP-98-0007

December 31, 1997

The Commonwealth Utilities Corporation (CUC) is soliciting competitive proposals from qualified Architectural/Engineering firms capable of designing the upgrade of the low voltage electrical system for the operation of 118 each - 24,000 BTU split air conditioning units at the Marianas High School on the island of Saipan, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI).

Interested parties may pick up the scope of work at CUC's Procurement & Supply Office in Lower Base, Saipan, CNMI, during work hours (7:30 am to 4:30 pm).

Offerors shall provide a certification, signed by a principle of the company stating that the company has in the past, and is currently, in compliance with all applicable CNMI and federal laws. Should the company be unable to provide such certification, the company must provide written explanation as to why, including a description of any violations to such labc,1 laws and any remedial action taken. Failure of this company to provide the certification or explanation is grounds to reject the entire proposal.

Six set (1-original and 5-copies) of proposals marked CUC-RFP-98-0007/Design of Electrical Work for Operation of Air Conditioning Units at Marianas High School Project may be submitted in a sealed envelope lo Mr. John C. Mafnas, Acting Chief of Procurement & Supply, Lower Base; P.O. Box 1220, Saipan, MP 96950, no later than 3;30 p.m., local time on January 14, 1998

Proposals will be evaluated and selection made based on the following technical criteria: . Cost - 50 points, Professional electrical engineering license registered in the CNMI • 15 points, Experience -15 points, Design Methodology -10 points, and Schedule· 10 poinfs.

Awards of this project is contingent upon receipt of the necessary funding and/or required approval to enter into legally binding agreements to complete the entire project.

Discussions may be conducted with responsible offerors who submit proposals determined to be reasonably susceptible of being selected for award for the purpose of clarification and to ensure full understanding of, and responsiveness to solicitation requirements. Offerers shall be accorded fair and equal treatment with respect to any opportunity for discussion and revision of proposals and such revisions may be permitted after submission and prior to award for the purpose of obtaining the best and final offers. In conducting discussions, there shall be no disclosure of any information derived from proposals submitted by competing Offerors.

CUC reserves the right to reject any and all proposals for any reason and to waive any defect in said proposals, or any them if in its sole opinion to do so would be in the best interest of CUC. All proposals shall become the property of CUC.

For further information please contact Michael W. Randall, P.E. at telephone number (670) 322-4033 Extension 55 or facsimile number (670) 322-4323.

TIMOTHY P. VILLAGOMEZ Executive Director, CUC

Philippine congressman accused in slay, gives up MANILA, Philippines (AP) - A Philippine congressman

accused of murdering two sons of a political rival surrendered to officials Wednesday. less than a month after another lawmaker was convicted of raping an I I-year-old girl.

Rep. Jose Villarosa surrendered to House Speaker Jose de Venecia and was taken to a police detention center in metro-politan Manila. ·

Officials said Villarosa 's arrest and the conviction of Rep. Romeo J alosjos last month for twice raping a girl indicate the rule of law prevails over influence in the Philippines.

Villarosa and 14 other people have been accused of plotting the Dec. 13 murders of two sons of a rival politician in the island province of Mindoro, south of Manila.

A court ordered their arrests. Villarosa, who belongs to President Fidel Ramos' ruling

Lakas-NUCD political party, has denied the charges, saying he was not in a Mindoro warehouse when a witness allegedly heard him and the other suspects planning the murders last October.

He denied having gone into hiding to avoid arrest and said he only waited to check the evidence against him before surrendering.

Government agents who traveled to Mindoro to arrest another suspect were fired upon by gunmen on Sunday. One died and another was wounded. .

Villarosa 's lawyer asked for a reinvestigation of the case after Communist guen·illas claimed responsibility Tuesday for the murders.

A rebel spokesman told a Manila radio station that one of the victims had harassed farmers over a land dispute.

The other victim was shot accidentally, he said. Jalosjos, 57, was convicted on Dec. 11 of two counts ofrape and

sentenced to two life terms in a landmark child abuse case. He has appealed his conviction to the Supreme Court.

r '·

FRIDAY, JANUARY 9, 1998 -MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND V!EWS-21 ·-------~----------~--

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22-MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VIEWS-FRIDAY- JANUJ\RY 9. l'J<Jti

CR chief donates prize By JIM GOMEZ Magsaysay prize for international

understanding for her work on behalf of refugees.

The money will be. used to build two women 'scenters to provide education and livelihood training to the returnees,Ogatatoldaforumonrefugees in Manila.

MANILA, Philippines (AP) -U.N. High Commissioner for Refugee; Sadako Ogata said Wednesday she will donate a $50,()()0award to fom1cr Burmese refugees who returned to their homeland.

She said she is donating the money to Muslim women who fled from Bu1ma 's northern Rakhine state into Bangladesh to escape internal strife. The women have since relllmed to Bunna.

President Fidel Ramos presented the Magsaysay award, often referred toasAsia'sNobelPrize,on Wednes-· day to Ogata, who was unable to Ogata is the winner of the 1997

/le, tk faJrr1'ft of tie- late

diIMA !DDELA izAMA Would like to extend our sincere gratitude to our friends and relatives from Guam, Hawaii, Rota, Tinian and Saipan for the kindness and sympathy extended to us during our time of mourning.

'l/our presence at the nightly rosaries, your offering of prayers, the many gifts of comfort, kind words of hope and strength.

We are especially thankful to Bishop Thomas A. Camacho, Fr. Isaac Ayuyu, Fr. Roger Tenorio, Fr. Gary, Fr. David Quitugua-Guam, The Techas Marilyn Jones and Jeannie P. Reyes, Guam Liaison Office Staff, Hawaii Llaison Office Staff, Kristo Rai Choir, San Vicente Church Choir & CHG Staff & Physician.

'l/ou have all made this difficult time much more bearable and comforting. You will always be remembered in our hearts and in our prayers.

"'< UN DANGKULU i'iA SI YU'US ~IA'ASE. THANK YOU,

'I !IE CHIL. DREN AND FA:\IILY OF THE LATE JCLL\\A T. LIZAMA . - · .. . ....... .. ... . .........,. . 0

F. tA . R .......... 1rs .. nniv·ersary ....... 'Osary Herman Reyes Guerrero

" Tun Herman Pan" .

The family of the late Herman R. Guerrero invites all our relatives and friends to join

us for the First Anniversary Rosary of our beloved one.

Nightly rosary will be held at Herman T. Guerrero's (Jun Pan) residence in Dandan below Herman's Modem Bakery, beginning Friday,

January 16, 1998, at 7:00 p.m. Also, daily Mass will be offered at Mount Carmel Cathedral from Friday to Saturday, On Sunday, Mass will be at San Vicente Church. All Masses will be at 6:00 a.m.

On the final day, Saturday, January 24, 1998, rosary will be said at 12:00 Noon. The First Anniversary Mass will be offered at· 5:00 p.m., Mount Carmel Cathedral and dinner will follow at the family residence.

Kindly Join Us in Prayers and Intentions.· . ~ . .

The Guerrero Family (Pan) .·· ..

President Fidel Ramos congratulates Mrs. Sadako Og~ta of the United Nations High Commissioner on Refugees afferpresentmg her the 1997 Ramon Magsaysay Award for International Understanding, the Asia's counterpat1 of the Nobel Prize !'Vednesday at the Malaca'!ang palace in Manila. Ogata said that she will donate the US$50,000 pnze to former Burmese refugees who returned to their homeland. AP

receive it h~t ye,u· because of other commitments.

In a speech, Ogata urged Southeast Asian countries to prevent a repeat of the massive refugee crisis that developed when hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese fled their country on boats after a Communist takeover in 1975. Fearing the burdens of accommodating the Vietnamese boat people then, some Asian countries "began pushing off overloaded boats, causing uncountable deaths on the high seas," she said.

"If we wish to prevent humanitarian crises in the future, we must pay due attention to the lessons leamed," Ogata said.

She urged countries in the region to reaffirm their commit;ent to help asylum seekers and pass laws to protect them. She said the countries should try to solve existing refugee problems and prevent new ones from arising. TherearecmTentlyabout 7.9 million refugees in Asia, she said.

UNHCR, which Ogata has headed since 199 l, is presently caring for 23 million people

around the world, it says. More than IO million are refugees in foreign countries and the rest are internally displaced by civil strife. Overall, the U.N. agency estimates there are 50 million "victims of forced displacement," including in parts of the former Soviet Union, the Balkans and central Asia.

About 10 million people have returned to their homes since 1990, according to a UNHCR report.

Many went back voluntarily after conflicts eased in nations such as Mozambique, Cambodia, El Salvador, Ethiopia and Afghanistan. An estimated quartermillion people have returned to Bosnia since the signing of the 1995 Dayton peace accords, it said.

But it stressed that others have been forced back against their will.

Ogata said traditional resettlement countries like the United States and Europe have been more strict in accepting asylum seekers in recent years because of a large number of economic migrants coming in as asylum seekers.

"GhonyJluan" or "Ghony 7/pa" Jnwte a/lour refahue.r andjrienrh lo join us in prayer for our 6efouer/ JIG/her, 9ranr/mollier anr/ 9real CJrandmolher. 7Jar& Yl{()Jses wrflbe offerer/ al W. Garme/Gaiberlralf rom 7anuarr; 12 lo 7anuary 20, /99& al 6.00 a.m. mepl on Uunday, 7anuary M, /99&, mhen lhe %1JJJ wJf be o/fereda/ 9:00 a.m On /he

' f,nal rlay 'Juesrlay, 'January 20, J 99o breaif 1IJ! mt!/ be server/ after /he. Y/{IJ./s. "'

'lrease /oin us in prayers. .· CIIILDREN AND fl\.M[L Y =-=-=rii'~'. ~~

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FRIDAY, JANUARY 9, l 998 -MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VIEWS-23

Import car sales dip in Japan TOKYO (AP) - Hurt by an increase in the national consumption tax, sales of imported cars, trucks and buses in Japan plunged nearly 15 percent in l 997, the first fall in five years, auto importers said Thursday.

Total imports in 1997 amounted to 364,882 units, compared with 427,525 in 1996-a drop of 14. 7 percent, theJapanAutomobile Importers Association said. The figures include Japanese cars produced overseas.

A spokesman for the association said imports were hurt by the April 1997 rise in the na-

tional consumption tax from 3 percent to 5 percent and the elimination of a special income tax reduction.

The import figures come as weakened domestic consumption and increasing exports are fueling Jap.an's massive 1.06 trillion yen($ 8.03 billion) trade surplus.

The politically troublesome surplus with the United States was 483.9 billion yen ($ 3.67 billion) in November,

Importers are not the only ones feeling the pinch. Sales of new cars, buses and trucks in Japan fell almost 5 percent in

Employees of Hotel Okura, Melanie Reeves, left, from Phoenix, Ariz., and Yoko Fujikawa, put U.S. and Japanese banknotes on the exchange counter atthe hotelin Tokyo Tuesday. The U.S. dollar against Japanese yen hit the highest level in five and half years following a big sell on yen moved by Japanese investors and the dollar holders enjoy more Japanese yen at the exchange. AP

Japanese postal savings deposits hit monthly high TOKYO (AP)-The inflow of funds into Japan's state-run postalsaviitgssystemhitarecord high last month amid spreading

.concern over the health of the Japanese banking system.

Net deposits at Japan's postal bank soared to 3.3 trillion yen($ 25.4 billion) in December, a record high for a single month, the Japanese Post and Telecommunications Ministry said in a report.released Wednesday.

The.size of the increase was 2.3 times. higher than the same month last year and roughly equivalent to the total assets held by many mid-size banks in Japan.

The surge in deposits at the government's postal bank comes

after the failure of Hokkaido Takushoku Bank Ltd., Japan's I 0th-largest city bank in November, and the collapse of several other financial institutions.

Many Japanese savers are reportedly transferring funds from smaller, weaker banks to top

. ranked banks. The Bank of Tokyo

Mitsubishi Ltd., the world's biggest private bank, saw its deposits from individuals climb 1.3 trillion yen ($ IO billion) in December compared to the pre~ vious month, the Nihon Keizai newspaper reported Thursday.

Japan's postal savings bank is the largest bank in the world, with deposits of more than 235 trillion yen ($ 1.8 trillion.)

Boys~ death investigated . TOKYO (AP) - Police in southwestern Japan on Thursday were investigatingthedeathof asix-year-old boy who reportedly died in · nearfreezing temperatu1es afterhis mother punished him by sending him outside.

An investigation has been launched into possible parental responsibility in the death of the child, said a spokesman for police in Fukuoka, 899 kilometers (562 miles) southwest of To-

kyo. The spokesman identified himself·

only by his surname, Suzukawa. He confinned the boy had been

found dead, but would provide no details.

K yodo News, however, reported Timrsday that lhe boy wm; found dead of exposure in the garden of his home Wednesday morning after spending the night in 3 C (37 F) tcnipcratures.

1997, the first decline in four years, the Japan Automobile Dealers' Association said Monday.

Sales of imported vehicles had been expected to pick up by autumn as the effects oft he sale.s tax began to fade. But a string of financial bankruptcies only

caused consumers to tighten their purse strings further, the importers' spokesman said on condition of anonymity.

A fall in imports by Japanese automakers, who have shifted some of their production to Japan, also weighed on import

Honda, for example, last year shifted production of the Accord Wagon in the United States to Japan where demand for that particular model was deemed larger.

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PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT NO ONE IS AUTHORIZED TO OPERATE A COCKFIGHT OTHER THAN THE SAIPAN COCKFIGHT THAT IS LOCATED IN GARAPAN. AND TO THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE ALREADY OPERATING A COCKFIGHT, MUST CEASE THEIR OPERATION. YOU MUST UNDERSTAND THAT YOU ARE NOT ONLY OPERATING ILLEGALLY, YOU ARE CHEATING AND STEALING. FRANKLY, YOU ARE NO DIFFERENT THAN TO THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE ALREADY SERVING TIME IN JAIL. IF YOU ARE ONE OF THOSE OPERATORS DOING IT BECAUSE YOU NEED TO FEED YOUR FAMILY, PLEASE STOP AND COME SEE ME SO I COULD HELP YOU FIND WORK AND OR ENROLL YOU TO COLLECT FOOD STAMP. I WANT EVERYONE TO UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE CONSEQUENCES BEHIND YOURILLEGALACTIVITY. YOU CAN BE PROSECUTED AND I CAN FILE SUIT FOR DAMAGES. AS A MATIER OF FACT, I AM IN THE PROCESS OF FILING .LAWSUIT AGAINST THOSE ILLEGAL OPERATORS FOR DAMAGES. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED TO OPERATE A COCKFIGHT, YOU ARE WELCOME TO JOIN IN THE BID THAT WILL BE ANNOUNCE SOMETIMES IN JUNE IN THIS YEAR. RESPECT THE LAW AND THE PERSON THAT WON THE BID TO OPERATE. LASTLY, ACT LIKE A HUMAN BEING AND NOT LIKE AN ANIMAL. YOU MORONS!

JS/NICK S. SABLAN AUTHORIZED OPERATOR

The Committee On Inauguration

Requests The Honor Of Your Presence And Participation In The Inauguration Of

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Japan opposition register as block TOKYO(AP)-Membersofa newly-forme_d opposition block officially registered their group in Japan's lower house of Parliament on Thursday, making it the lm·gcst single opposition voice, the lower house legislative affairs bureau said.

The six pmty alliance, called Minyuren, holds 97 of the 500 seats in d1e powerful lowerchamber, said ru1 official witl1 the adrnin.istrntion bureau. She declined to be named.

Minyuren was fom1ed to challenge Prime Minister Ryutm·o

Hashimoto's conservative Liberal Democratic Party, which has a working majority of 259 seats in the lower house.

The liberal-leaning opposition alliance was fom1ed after the New FrontierPartydisbandedlastmonth, abandoning its role as '!he chief opposition force in Parliament.

Minyuren, led by fo1TI1Cr Justice Minister Megumu Sato, unites d1e Democratic Party of Japan, New Party Fraternity, T aiyoParty, Voice of die People Pruty, Democratic Refo1mPmtym1dFromFiveparty.

\

A money changer hands foreign currency to buyers as his colleague counts the U.S. dollar at a Kuala Lumpur money change Wednesday. The Malaysian ringgit plunged to an all-time low against the U.S. dollar, sliding to 4.8800 in Wednesday trading. AP

Malaysia proposes to pay in currencies other than dollars

Governor

JESUS R. SABLAN ~

Lt. Governor

/\nd all our other newly elected leaders. Great arc your tasks, and greater yet our expectations. ~

PACIFIC MEDIATION CENTER P.O. Box 508 CK

Saipan 235-8061 , 234-1182 "Passionate for Peace"

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) - As !he Malaysian ringgit continued to depreciate against tl1e dollar Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Anwar Ibrahim said Thursday Malaysia was·planning to work out agreements with some countries to pay them for imports in currencies other than dollars.

"Under new contracts we hope that imports from the ASEAN countries, China, Pakistan and India could be made using their respective currencies," Anwar told reporters.

ASEAN comprises Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, Brunei, Burma, Laos, Vietm1m and Malaysia.

Congratulations and GOOD LUCK!

. , I . • ~ -:::::-::.:--.._ @ilp, 0 0

~NuARv 1·2, 1998 '~~ I , ',,,~

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from the ma· agement and staff of:

PACIFIC WOR ENTERPRISES

Speaking after chairing a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Essential Goods, Anwar said .the Ministry of International Trade

· and Industry and the Domestic Trade and Consumers Affairs Ministry would meet importers soon to discuss the plan.

Anwar said imports denominated in U.S. dollars had become more expensive following the depreciation of the ringgit against the dollar.

"The problem is compounded by the fact that not only imports from the United States and Europe are denominated in U.S. dollars, but also those from other countries ... imports of onions and beef from India are also made in U.S. dollars," he said.

The Malaysian ringgit hit a record 4:8800 to one U.S. dollar at midday Wednesday before Bank Negara, the central bank, intervened twice, boosting the ringgit to 4.5900 late Wednesday. It was trading slightly higher

at 4.600 at midday Thursday. The bank's statement that

Malaysia's total debt comprising short, medium and long-term loruis amountedto45.2billiondollarsor42 percent of the gross domestic product as of June 30 also help:d support tl1e currency, traders said.

Anwar, who has said Bank Negara would inteivene and buyupdollars to shore up tl1e 1inggit when necessary, Thursdaydeclinedtostatehowmany dollars !he bank had bought

Malaysia has been facing an economic crisis since the ringgit, which was at 2.500 to ilie dollar six mon!hs ago, began to slide.

The country has tried to strengtl1en !he economy by scrapping projects worth billions, including dams, highways and prope1ty development

Government workers have taken pay cuts and seniorofficials and ministers have been banned from travel abroad unless deemed essential.

If travel is considered necessary, iliey must go business class instead of first class.

Asian· crisis tp. cut .. · · Australian t.ourism

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GOLD COAST, Australia (AP) - The Asi,m economic crisis could cause a 9 percent drop in overseas visitornumbers to Australia this year and cost ilie nation about U.S. $ 960 million (1.5 billion Australian dollma), leading tourism and development ,walyst Alan Midwood said Thursday.

Midwood, who produces the quarterly Queen.slm1d Development Report, said he believed about 380,000 fewer people - including 240,000 tourisL,- would visit Australia this year.

"This will mean there will be u consequent reduction in export earnings of around I .S billion Austr<1lian dollars m1d a loss of some 24 000 jobs;· Midwood said. '

However, Midwood said ilic situation in Asia was "still very

Hesaidheexpec:.edarecovery, but until mere was some stability in Asian economies it was not realistic to as-

sume it would occur iliis yem·. Midwood said tl1e downturn in

visitorsfromAsiathisyearwa<;likely to be in the region of 33 percent.

"But this will be counter-acted to some extent by possible rises of 12 percent from Europe ,md 8 percent from America mid possibly I 00 percent from China," he said.

'Toe worst hit countries are Soutl1 Korea and Thailand, where downturns arc expected to be as high as 85 percent.

"Tourists from· Malaysia and Indonesia are likely to be cut by 50 percent, but some Asian countries like Singapore, Hong Kong and Taiwan should only be marginally affected.

"It's hoped that Japan arid New Zealand wi II be down by no more than S percent as their tourists will find Europe and the U.S. up to 20 percent more expensive in 1998."


Retailers to be hit by Asian tourism slack CANBERRA, Australia (AP) ..

. Retailers will be hardest hit by the downturn in Asian tourists visiting Australia, Tourism· Council Australia General Manager Scott Morrison said Wednesday.

''The biggest activity that international tourists undertake while in Australia is shopping, so that is going to have ramifications across a far broader array of commerce and business than people would

. expect," Morrison told Australian Broadcasting Corp. radio.

Big rise.in joblessness

. predicted in Indonesia

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP)The ranks of Indonesia's unemployed could swell by almost 50 percent to at leasi 6.5 million in 1998 because of the monetary crisis, the labor minister said.

"We are now facing a very serious problem," Manpower Minister Abdul Latief said Tuesday in remarks reported by the official Antara news agency.

Latief spoke after President Suharto unveiled an annual budget designed to tackle Indonesia's worst economic crisis in decades. Critics said the plan dodged key austerity measures.

The rupiah crashed to a new low of 8,400 rupiah against the U.S. dollar in trading Wednesday over market disappointment with the budget.

Suharto estimated economic growth in 1998 at 4 percent, down from 7.5 percent in the previous year.

Indonesia is the world's fourth most populous nation, with 200million people. There are fears of social unrest amid big increases in prices of basic foods such as rice.

Government-recognized labor groups estimate the potential work force at 90 million, but not all arr working.

Current unemployment of 4.4 million will rise because between 1.2 and 1.3 million workers have been dismissed in the economic crisis that began in July with the rupiah slide, Latief said.

And I.I million of the 2.7 million people who enter the job market this year will not get work, adding up to a total of more than 6.S million unemployed, according to Latief.

The labor minister suggested that companies help reduce unemployment by reducing hours and overtime and cutting large salaries to help workers with less income.

Workers in an array of fields, including textiles, construction and car manufacturing, have lost their jobs.

Ansett Australia on Tuesday joined Qantas in canceling all flights between Australia and South Korea, which until recently had been Australia's fastest growing tourist market.

The currency crisis· has also cut into visitor numbers from many other countries across the region.

However, Morrison played down the impact of the downturn on the local tourism industry .

"We don't have al I our eggs in one basket," Morrison said. "Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand - all of these markets account for just over IO percent, 12 percentofourtotal inbound (tourist market).

"Only 25 percent of the Austra- Chinese Foreign Minister Qian Qich!n, right, smiles as he receives a painting presented to him from Anson Iian tourism market is intema- Chan, left, chief administrative secretary of the Hong Kong Special Administrative (iegion (SAR} at the.start tional, so we 're talking about a of their meeting in Beijing Tuesday. Chan is in China to discuss the bird flu situatwn among other topics m segment of what is a very large her meetings with top Chinese officials. AP

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1998 Toyota Calendar.

HAVE ARRIVED f .. -_., --- -,

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26-MAR!ANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VIEWS-FRIDAY-JANUARY 9, 1998

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A trader_ wa.tches the stock prices at the Hong Kong Stock Exchange Wednesday as Hong Kong stock price~ were plunging/or the fourth .straight trading day due to fears about weak Asian currencies and a possible rise m Hong Kong s prime lending rate. AP

TO GOVERNOR PETE p I TENORIO

AND LT I GOVERNOR JESUS R. SABLAN

AND All NEWLY RECTED LEADERS.

Of THE

HONG KONG (AP) - Hong Kong shmes nosedived Wednesday due to f cm, about weak Asi,uicunencics,md a ixissible :isc in Hong Kong· s p1ime lending rate.

·n1c blue-chip l-hu1g Seng index lost 596.90 points. or 5.9 percent, to close al 9,538.61. ·

It was the fo,t time the index ended below I O,CXXl since Nov. 14.

ll1e index Jost 168 points Tuesday ,md 377 points Monday.

Tradingtumovcrw,L~wrn1h 11.83 bi JI ion Hong Kong dolhu,, cornp.u-ed with 7.63 billion Horn! Kong Jollw·s in the previous scssio~. "

1l1c broader /\II On.Jin,uics Index finished down 271.34 points at 4.76176.

"Right now, confusion reigns. Investors are switching to ca;h:· prefem1bly U.S. dollars. said Kent Rossiter, senior institutional sales manager at Nikko Securities Co. (Asia) Ltd.

Analyst, said worse is to come. "I think it 'II continue to go down

COMMONWEALTH OF THE NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS ON YOUR INAUGURATION

JANUARY 12, 1998

From the management and staff of

mmm~m!:! Simplify.

~ MICRONESIA MOTORS, INC. ~ P.O. Box 238, Salpan. MP 96950 • Tel. 234-8333i8334

JOETEN MOTOR COMPANY INC. AUTO SALES, PARTS & SERVICE

234-5562 to 5568 or 235-5557 or 235-5559

First on Saipan!

given what's happening in Southeast Asia mid the rate environment in I-long Kong," said Torn Monaco. lxu1king w1alyst al Bern· Ste.um Asi,1 Ltd.

Monaco said thctlm:c-month Hong Kong intcrbm1k offered 1:1tc is above tl1e prime rate, suggesting the Hong Kong Association or B,u1ks will lift deposit rates at their weekly meeting rriday.

Losers includcu Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd .. which has said the regional currency crisis will hurt earnings by reducing travel.

Revenues from its Japan ma:·ket, formerly one of its best profitgenerators, were lower in 1997 than expected, the company has said.

China-backed shares fell even more sharply than the blue chips due to reports that China plans to limitoutnows of capital into I long Kong.

Southeast Asia's wave of currency devaluations has heightened concerns about a possible devaluation of the Chinese yuan, saiu Elvie Ng, an analyst with Vickers Ballas.

However, the China Daily, a government-run Chinese newspaper, published a prominent front-page story saying devaluation was unlikely.

Meanwhile, the Hong Kong dollar remained virtually steady,

It was trading Wednesday at 7.7498 to the U.S. dollar, nearly flat from 7.7500 late Tuesday.

The head of treasury at a domestic bank said the currency market is almost lifeless, with participantsawarethattheHongKongMonetary Auth01ity ha., U.S. dollar sell orders in place should it reach 7.7500.

'' JAKARTA,Indonesia(AP)-ll1e death toll from hunger and disease in the impove1ished Indonesi:m prov-

. ince of Iiian Jaya ha., 1isen since last . montl1 by 17 to 673 victims, 1epo11s said Wednesday.

·111c official Ant;u·a news agency quoted !men Soeweno, the social affairs minister, as saying 143,600 people in Irim1 Jaya are starving becauseoflndonesia' s w01,tdrought in half a centu:y.

Seasonal monsoon rains have arIi ved in some prn1S of Indonesia, but

, eastemmostliianJaya1emainsmostly ") d1y. ;;'.J 1l1e drought and rain delay have ~;j been blamed on El Nino, the nick\.,. name for a pc1iodic wanning of wa

te1, in the eastern Pacific Ocean.

;, President Suharto has asked

Soewono to send ca.~sava to Irian , i Jaya as part of government efforts to

, reduce malnullition. ~· Soewono said people in Iiian Jaya rfl preferdii~ cassava to lice because it 1t1 1s m01e fill mg and can be stored for ' six to seven months. d Drought-related deaths were first ~ 1eportcd in August.

!.


!JJCessaye of Gonyralufalions

On January 12, 1998, a new administration will pick up the reigns of government in the

Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands .. · . . ' .. a new legislature will he sworn in, and

11ew mayors a.nd.municipal officials . will 'take office.

It is a time to celebrate. Ir'is a titneto reflect on the challenges ahead.

·And above all, it is a time for all of us to recommit ourselves.to the development

of our islands and to the welfare of our people.

I wish the very best to all the newly elected government officials.

NC. ENORIO

28-MARIANAS V /\RIETY NEWS AND VIEWS-FRIDAY- JANUARY 9. 1998

Korea workers face layoffs By SANG-HUN CHOE

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) -For years, South Korean workers fought for one goal: more money. Now, they are fighting simply to keep their jobs.

The governmenl, with rare bipartisan support from both the ruling and opposition parties, is pushing to pass a bill through Parliament next week allowing mass layoffs for the first time.

In exchange for its record $57 billion bailout of the South Korean economy, the International Monetary Fund stipulated that industry be given the freedom and flexibility to downsize.

That means layoffs, big layoffs - and it doesn't sit well with workers who became accustomed during South Korea's boom years to the idea of lifetime employment.

"Our position is simple and firm. We cannot accept the argument that layoffs are the only way to save the economy," said Yoon Young-1110. a spokesman for a maverick labor group that forced the government to kill a similar proposal in c;1rly 1997.

Yoon· s group. the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions. has a membership of 500,000 in major industries including auto. steel and shipbuilding. It is threatening lo organize nationwide strikes next week. when a special session of Parliament will convene to consider the bill.

The mainstream Federation of Korean Trade Unions claims 1.5 million members, mostly white-collar and small-

business employees. \Vhile the union also opposes layoffs, it remained on the sidelines during the other union's protests against the layoff proposal last year.

South Korea's political establishment, in a rare show of unity, appears ready to approve the new layoff measure, even if it brings workers onto the streets in violent replays of wage clashes of the 1980s.

President Kirn Young-sam and his successor-in-waiting, Kim Dae-jung, a former champion of labor rights, met Tuesday to discuss the issue and later spoke with one voice: "Workers must share the pain.

"Without layoffs, foreigners will not invest in South Korea. Without foreign investment, our economy will face a full-scale crisis," their joint statement said.

Workers demand that the government first overhaul the

nation's conglomerates, or chaebol - the family-owned industrial giants they claim are largely responsible for today's economic problems.

Sandwiched, the presidentelect, who will take offi~e in February, has declared that he will be a neutral supervisor and see to it that workers and conglomerates share the pain equally.

"Layoffs are inevitable. What we see right now is rather a power game between labor unions and chaebol," said Lee Ji-soon, an economist at Seoul National University.

"For the government, it's a balancing act," he added.

South Korea's meteoric economic rise spawned two opposing forces: a dozen corporate giants that control much of the nation's wealth, and a militant labor force fighting for bigger benefits.

Citizens write their signatures during a street campaign against the imported items such as cigarettes and whisky, to help the recovery of South Korea's economic crisis, at Seoul Station Tuesday. South Korea so far received $11 billion of the $57 billion promised by the IMF in the world's largest bailout package. AP ·

and to the newly

elected CNMI leaders on your Inauguration

January 12, 1998

235-7939/235-7938

South Korean workers and students shout slogans during a rally at a Seoul park Saturday demanding the government to take responsibility for the country's economic crisis. AP

President-elect Kim said he would form a committee with representatives of the government, labor and industry to forge a "social contract" on how to share the burden of salvaging the economy.

The strict prescriptions of the IMF appear certain to trigger more bankruptcies and force as many as I million layoffs annually for the next three years. Workers ask: "Why should we suffer alone?"

Plant closings and layoffs had been rare in South Korea's fast-

growing economy until financial turmoil hit the country last year. Unemployment insurance was· established only two years ago, and it offers scant benefits. Job retraining is virtually non-existent, becauselifetimeemployment has been considered a given.

South Korean conglomerates are so big and powerful that the top 40 now generate 80 percent of the country's industrial output, churning out cars, television sets, ships, microchips and other products.

In the past, they also have siphoned off most of the money banks had available to loan, leaving little left to lend to smaller enterprises.

Eight of those financially weak conglome"rates have collapsed in the past year, leaving more than a dozen banks with huge amounts of non-performing loans and fueling a currency crisis.

"Businesses must share the responsibility," the president-elect, Kim, said. "Time is running out, and the businesses should not· waste time in restructuring."

Kim is pushing bills that will ban cross-funding and cross debtpayment guarantees among chaebol subsidiaries - a step that experts say will eventually dissolve the conglomerates.

In return for layoffs, Kim promises to beef up the government's $823 million unemployment insurance fund by $3.1 billion "this year and provi<lc job retraining.

But workers prefer freezing wages and shortening work hours to layoffs.

"Above all, we want to know how much money chaebol own. They must first donate their fortunes to save their troubled companies," said Yoon of the labor confederation. "They just want to lake easy measures and fire workers."

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FRIDAY, JANUARY 9, 1998-MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VJEWS-29

According to UN office:

Taliban st ·ng 160,000

Afghan women walk along a Kabul street as the cold weather continues in the capital cit. It is cold and wet in Kabul this time of year with roofs and roads covered with snow in the harsh conditions. AP

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) - At least 600 civilians were dragged from their homes and shot to death by the Taliban religious army, prompting thousands to flee northwestern Afghanistan, opponents of the regime claimed Wednesday.

U.N. officials in Islamabad said they had received security reports suggesting there were mass killings in the area, followed by an exodus of civilians.

Meanwhile, the Taliban also are denying emergency food to 160,000 hungry people in opposition territory for military and political reasons, U.N. representatives said Wednesday.

The Taliban's Islamic militia seizcdAfghanistan 's capital, Kabul, in September 1996 and now controls roughly 85 percent of the country. It is battling a northern-based opposition alliance that holds the remaining 15 percent in the north.

Sibgatullah Zaki, an opposition spokesman based in Pakistan, made the accusations about the Jan. 1-2 massacre in a letterto U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan. Another opposition spokesman identified only as Abdullah said 20,000 civilians fleed after the killings in the Qaiser district of Faryan province.

Most of the victims were said to be Uzbeks, a minority ethnic group that lives in the area, Zaki said. The increasingly ethnic tones of Afghanistan's brutal conflict

have concerned international organizations.

The U.N. 's World Food Program was hoping to airlift more than 5,000 tons of food over the next six weeks to feed tens of thousands of people in the mountainous Bamyan province who are expected to face a serious food shortage by the end of the bitter winter.

But the airlift was suspended last week after Taliban jet fighters bombed the Bamyan airstrip where a U.N. cargo plane was parked, shattering windows at a nearby World Food Program office. About 180 tons of food had been brought in before the suspension.

"Humanitarian assistance should not be used as a weapon of war," said Alfredo WitschiCestari, the U.N. coordinator of humanitarian aid to the war-ravaged country.

In New York, Annan deplored the Taliban actions, including the air attack, and called on the regime to "allow the unimpeded delivery of humanitarian assistance and to cease any action which endangers the safety of humanitarian personnel."

This week Taliban officials refused a U.N. request to stop bombing Bamyan, saying the Shiite Muslims who control the province are holding hundreds of Taliban pri-soners.

Bronek Szynalski, the World Food Program's regional direc-

tor, said his office had wanted to provide rations to the region for three months: a two-month supply of potatoes and a onemonth supply of wheat.

The U.N. has faced a series of setbacks trying to get food

aid to Bamyan. In September, thieves stole thousands of tons of wheat and cooking oil earmarked for Bamyan that were being held in U.N. wan:houses in Afghanistan's oppositionheld north.

"We therefore appeal to the Taliban and the authorities in northern Afghanistan to clear the way for us to get food through to the civ iii ans of Bamyan," Witschi-Cestari said.

.G RAT·U LAT.IO N·s ! to

Governor-Elect Pedro Pangelinan Tenorio and

Lt. Governor-Elect Jesus Rosario Sablan of the

Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands on your Inauguration, January 12, 1998.

From the Management and Staff of

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32-MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VIEWS-FRIDAY- JANUARY 9 1998

Taiwan trade s TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) -Affected mainly by Asia's economic nmnoil, Taiwan's trnde surplus fe\143.7 percentlastyearto U.S. $7.64billion. the government Tep)rted Wednesday.

Exports to Sou th Korea, Japan and Southeast Asia plunged because the sharper currency depreciations in

· those counnies has weakened Taiwanese goods' competitiveness, the Finance Ministry said.

In all, Taiwan 'sexpo1ts amounted to U.S. $122 billion and imports totaled U.S. $114.4 billion, it said.

11,e surplus from trade with Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia,Singapore and the Philippines plunged 42 percent to U.S. S2 billion in 1997, the rep:ll1 said. Bilateral trade with those coL1110ies towled U.S. $27.7billion, it said.

compared with the Taiwan dollar's close to 20 percent, they said.

Taiwan recorded a record high deficit of U.S. $17.3 billion with Japan outofbilateral tradeofU.S. $40. 7 billion. The deficit increased 25 percent from I 996.

Taiwan's deficit with South Korea increased76percent to U.S. $2.65 billion out of bilateral trade of U.S. $7.4 billion.

But Taiwan 'sexpo11s to the United States continued to grow as local goods' competitiveness was boosted by the weaker Taiwan dollar.

Taiwan recorded a surplus of U.S.$ 6.3 billion with the United States out of bilateral trade of U.S. $52.8 billion: Taiwan's exports to Hong Kong increased 7.5 percent to U.S. $28.7 billion, and impons from the te1Titory increased 17 percent to U.S. $ 2 billion.

lus falls

111e local textile industry was the hardest hit as tl1e Southeast Asian c6unnies not only made inroads into Taiwan's export markets, but also bcgm1 to expo11 textile goods to Taiwan, officials said.

TI1e TI1ai and Indonesian cunencies have fallen 50 percent in value,

Most of Taiwan's trade with China was conducted through Hong Kong because Taiwan bans direct contacts with Beijing.

Officers inspect an armaments repair facility in suburban Taipei to determine the cause of a fire that killed four poflcemen · Wednesday. The policemen were killed when they returned to the burning facility to retrieve handguns and bullets being test fired. A~

· 0-lt The Management & Staff of'

~ ER·EST < >

ROTA RESORT -- - . ·-·- .··-·-··- . -·-·--. '·-· -- .. &------,--------C::'. C> LJ ~· '"I""' R.. .-Y

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Vietnam executes

.3.people. HANOI, Vietnam (AP) - /\ firing squad on Wednesday executed two businessmen and a government official convicted in Vietnam's biggest corruption trial, a court official said.

Few details were released about the cxecu tions in sou thern Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon.

A total of 20 people - including business executives, bankers and government officials - were charged in the case involving the state-run import-export company, Tamexco.

They were convicted in January 1997 of a list of corruption charges, such as bribery, embezzlement and gambling, that led to the downfall of Tamexco and the loss of more than $27 million.

Facing the firing squad Wednesday were .Pham Iluy Phuoc, director of Tamcxco, Tnm Quang Yinh, director of a private company, and Le Due Canh, director of a state notary office who helped Phuoc acquire huge bank loans by inflating the value of his collateral.

The defendants acknowledged their guilt during the trial, but their lawyers argued that corruption was endemic in Vietnam and their c·lients should not be singled out for punishment.

Wednesday marked the fourth time executions capital punishment for corruption cases in October 1996.

Vietnam's leadership has declared war on corruption and smuggling, but has had little success stamping out vice, which the party admits is eroding people's confidence in its leadership.

11

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to the newly elected

CNMI leaders on your

Inauguration January 12, I 998

From the staff and management of

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Saipan Stevedore Company, Inc. P.O. Box 208 Commercial Port, Saipan, MP 96950

Tel. Nos.: (Office) 322-9240/6469/8569 (Terminal) 322-9540 (Operations) 322-3376

Fax. No.: 322-3977

Trade·rs will deposit gold to shore up Thai reserves

A Krung Thai Bank officer shows U.S. dollar banknotes to photographers at a money exchange counter at the Government House in Bangkok Wednesday. The Thai government has launched a campaign asking Thais to exchange their kept-in-pocket U.S. dollars into the local currency, the baht, to add to the liquidity. AP

BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) - A Cabinet minister said Thursday that Thailand's gold traders have agreed to deposit IO tons of gold with the central bank to bolster foreign reserves and combat the economic crisis ..

Deputy Finance Minister Pichase Panvichatikul said that I 0,000 go!d traders have agreed to each deposit a kilogram (2.2 pounds) of gold with the Bank of Thailand. The bank expects that the public will match the deposit with a further IO tons. . In return, depositors will re

ceive bonds issued by the Government Savings Bank with a maturity of three to five years

. -when the government hopes the crisis will be firmly over -and .a 5 percent coupon rate.

The Finance Ministry will

appoint a committee to decide on details of the bond issue next week. Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai has approved the plan in principle, but it has yet to receive formal Cabinet endorsement.

Under the terms of a $17 .2 billion International Monetary

· Fund-led economic rescue package, Thailand h·as to maintain reserves in gold and hard foreign currencies worth at least $25 billion this year.

Thailand's foreign reserves stood al $26.9 billion as of Dec. 15. The country badly depleted its foreign reserves early last year in an unsuccessful attempt to defend the local currency, the bah t, which was floated last July.

The flotation and subsequent IMF rescue unintentionally triggered a financial cri-

CONGRATULATIONS & GOODLUCK!

to the newly elected .' CNMI leaders:,,;

\

'

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/

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on your inauguratiQri,' January 12, J/19:8

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sis across Asia that shows no sign of getting better.

Currencies in Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines have crashed to historic lows against the U.S. dollar this week.

2 Indonesian. men face two years in jail for 'defaming' Suharto

Suharto

JAKARTA, In.donesia (AP)Two Indonesian men accused of distributing leaflets defaming President Suharto face up to two years in prison if convicted, a news report said Wednesday.

A prosecutor said Tuesday he would seek the sentence in their trial in Tangerang, about 30 kilometers ( 19 miles) west of the capital, Jakarta, the official Antara news agency reported.

Syarifuddin bin Murdali, 25, and Abdullah bin Sarmili, 22, arrived on a motorbike at a busy road in southern Jakarta during par] iamentary elections in May.

They allegedly handed out 200 leaflets urging Suharto's family to publicly reveal their assets and business interests and demanded that the government stamp out corruption.

The defendants sat calmly in court Tuesday as prosecutor IK Siregar said the documents undermined the government, Suharto and his family. A. verdict is expected Monday.

Suharto, a former army general, has allowed Ii ttle political dissent during 32 years as leader of the world's fourth most populous nation.

Drive Safely


In Cambodia:

1979 uprising remembered PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) -Cambodian officials celebrated the 19th anniver,aiy Wednesday of the overthrow of the genocidal Khmer Rouge regime, but the mood wa, rnmred by renewed civil war and the

· deep, linge1ing divisions over the group's downfal). · The official celebrations were

staged by suppo1ters of leader Hun Sen and his Cainbodia11 People's Paity, which ruled Cambodia with backing from Vietnamese troops for a decade after Vietnam invaded and toppled the Khmer Rouge in 1979.

Speaking to a crowd of 5,000 people, CPP President Cheas im said at paity headquaiters that the invasion by Vi~tnarn saved the country from "extinction."

"The criminal offenses perpetrated by the Kluner Rouge were immeasurable and indescribable," said Chea Sim. TheMaoist-inspiredKhmer Rouge set in motion the world's most radical communist revolution after seizing power in 1975, eventually leading to the deaths of as many as 2 million people - one Cambodian in five - from overwork, illness, starvation and execution.

But while Jan. 7 is marked by many Cambodians as the end of the Kluner Rouge regime, others see it as the beginning of a decade-long occupation by Vietnam, Cambodia's traditional enemy, and distrust Hanoi's support of Hun Sen and the CPP.

At the same time the official ceremonywas beirigheld, minecle:J!ing experts were detonating a grenade that was found in froryt of the Ethnic Vietnamese Association. It was unclear who planted it ' Hun Sen and most of the CPP

leaders were once Kruner Rouge officials who fle<l to Vietnam in the late 1970s to escape bloody purges. They retumedwithHanoi'sannytorunthe country and are detested by their former Khmer Rouge comrades.

Hun Sen staged a coup in July against his ctrprime minister, Prince Norodom Ranariddh, that shattered a tense dual premiership in~talled by

· U.N.-organized elections in 1993 aimed at ending war between the Hanoi-backed government and an anti-Vietnam coalition including Khmer Rouge guenillas and royalisL,.

Ranariddh, theroyalistleader, won the vote but wa, forced to share power when Hun Sen threatened more civil wai·. The Khmer Rouge kept fighting the new government, but broke apart in 1996, and most factions made peace. Since the coup, however, royalist remnants and the last hardline faction of tl1e Khmer Rouge -which was negotiating a peace deal with the prince before the takeover -have mounted a new resistance.

Ranariddh has said he was trying to

persuade the hard-liners to han d over their notorious leader, Pol

Pot, deposed in an internal struggle, for nial by an i ntemational tribunal. KhmerRougeradiobroadcastitsown version of Wednesday's anniversary as the beginningofthe"Yuon War," using an ethnic slur against Vietnamese.

The broadcast likened the resistance stronghold ofO' Smach, where several hundred royalist and Khmer

Rouge defenders ai-e holding back attacks from stronger pro-Hun Sen forces, to "Dien Bien Phu, whe1-e the Yuon aggressors ,md Hun Sen the puppet will be defeated."

Dien Bien Phu wa~ a fo1tified French outpost attacked by Vietnamese independence forces in 1954. Its capture marked defeat for French colonial rnle in Indochina.

Anticipation had been high that HunSen'sforceswould try to over-11111 O'Smach, a hilltop village on the border with Thailand, to mark the anniversary. But Thai military officials monitoring the situation said the front was quiet. Chea Sim used Wednesday's ceremony to repeat the party line that Ranariddh and the Khmer Rouge hard-liners were plotting their own coup andthatHunSen'sforcesputa stop to it.

Chairman of the Cambodian People's Party Chea Sim, left, talks with Second Prime Minister Hun Sen during a meeting at their headquarters in Phnom Penh Wednesday. Some 10,000 supporters celebrate to mark the 19th anniversary of the overthrow of the genocidal Khmer Rouge regime. AP

Our warmest best wishes to Governor Pedro P~ Tenorio .._..-and Lt. Governor Jesus R. Sablan of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands ...

Your leadership and governing experience are vital ingredients in moving our community into the next millenium.

~attk of ~uam ~ Local Bank. The People's Bank.

M_,_FDIC

P.O. Box 678 Saipan, MP 96950 • Garapan (670) 233-5000 • Susupe (670) 234-6467/6468 San Roque (670) 323-1010/1011 • Tmian (670) 433-3258/3261 • Rota (670) 532-0340/41

36-MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VIEWS-FRIDAY-JANUARY 9, 199S

Cambodia backtracks on expulsion of journalist PHNOM PENH, Cambodia(AP)-A veteran Canadian tclevisionjoumalist who was threatened with expulsion for allegedly unfair reporting will be allowed to continue to work in Cambodia. officials said Wednesday.

Khieu Kanharitl1, secretary of state for the Ministry oflnfom1ation, said after a brief meeting witl1 Ed Fitzgerald, the Phnom Penh-based correspondent for the A,ia Business News network, that the matter had been resolved.

"'Weacceptthat&lcancontinuehisworkhere.Hisvisawon'tberevokedand his press card will be extended," Khieu Kanharifu said.

Khicu K,mharith over tl1e past two weeks had accused Fitzgerald of ··systematically" distorting facL, in his coverage of Camlxxlia.

He showed particular displeasure wiih a 30-rninute, year-end ABN report ,malyzing the violent coup in July.

In the takeover, Hun Sen, a co-prime minister, deposed his rival premier, Prince Norodom Ranariddh, in two days of fighting fuat left parts of Phnom Penh devastated.

TI1e men had ruled in a tense dual premiership since U .N.-organizcdelections in 1993.

Khieu K,mharith threatened tocxp:!l Fitzger,!ld over fue report but retreated after King Norodom Sihanouk, tl1e prince's father, app:!aled to him to show leniency.

Khicu Kanharitl1, who was seeking an apology, then said he would order the Ministry oflnteriornot to renew Fitzgerald· s visa, which expires in April, or his press credentials, which expired J,m. 2.

Fitzgernld, who has lxen covering Cambodia since 1988 and owns a local · television production company, had refused to apologize but said following Wednesday's meeting tliat he was pleased ·

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Train accident casts doubts on rail safety

By KRISHNAN GURUSWAMY NEW DELHI, India (AP) - /\ c0Ilisionoft1~tinson a foggy night in nrnthcm India tlmt killed 52 passengers mid injured 62 othc1, is just one in a seiies of drmnatic accidenl~on Imlia' s huge rail network.

On Wednesday, engineers removed the deb1is of two trains nearLucknow,capitaloFthepopulous state of Uturr Pradesh. 1l1c collision occuncd Monday.

The tracks weie cleared and trains began to again move on the importantroutethatconnectsNcw Delhi with the cast, said railway official S.B. Bhattacharya

Initial ieports said tlre driver of a local train fuat rammed into an express train ignored a warning not to enter a particular section of the track. Theexpresshadstopp:.:d after hitting an animal that had wandered on the tracks.

The government has ordered a formal inquiiy into ihe accident., as it has in the 381 accidents last financial year, ending March 1997. Since then, 300 ac.cidents have occurred, killing rm passengers.

Newspaix:rs across India report almost daily about trains derailing, running into buses, cars and cows crossing or plowing into other trains. So frequent are the accidents that only those involving numerous deaths make it to the front page.

La~t September, a train derailment killed 82 and injured 234 in southern India - JX>lice blamed rail workers who had removed tracks for repair without telling weir superiors. A few months before mat, an express train sped through a stop sign near New Delhi and rammed into another pmsenger wain, killing 13 and injuring I 00.

Yet, considering the size of the Indian Railways- me largest net-

Rescue operation in progress Tuesday after two trains collided. The crash Jed to the death of 48 persons and severely injured 62 others.

work under one management in the world -the accident rate compares favorably with advanced nations, according to statistics compiled by the government The number of casualties is often high because trains are crowded- an average of750 passengers per train.

More than I 2 million people ride 14,000 trains across India eveiy day, a complex network of 67,000 kilometers (41,875 miles) stretching from mountains to the coastal plains, through dense forests, arid deserts and crowded cities. The network was set up 145 years ago by British colonialisL~tOtrans)Xlrtmineralsfrom across India to port, and then by ship

AP

to Fngland. Since then, the.Indian government ha~ modernized the tracks,intnxluced large-scale computerization of signals.

But the emphasis in this land of cheap labor is on humans. A large number of accidents were traced to mistakes by railroad employees, mostly me train drivers.

In ICcent years, the government has begun improving rail safety by automating much of the procedures, installing bettcrwaming systems and improving driver training. All train drivers now undergo refresher courses every three years and must be certified sober before each journey.

A seriously injured passenger is carried off for emergency treatment near Charbagh station in northern ln_dia, Tuesday after an express train jumped a red light and slammed into a passenger train late Monday night. The crash led to the death of 48 persons and severely injured 62 others. The death toll is rising as several bodies were still feared trapped in the debris. AP

, .... (


Federal judges sue over pay By Laurie Asseo

WASHINGTON (AP) - Federal judges are making a federal case out of the fact that their salaries haven't kept up with inflation.

The lawsuit against the federal government, puts one judge in the unusual posi!ion of deciding whether judges are entitled to more money. The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge John Garrett Penn.

Judges - who long have complained about their pay-did get a 2.3 percent cost-of-living boost last week along with other fed era I workers. But a lawsuit filed by 20 judges insists all federal jurists are entitk;d to raises for the previous three years as well.

"What working man or woman would seek a job in which the longer they work the less they get paid?" contends U.S. District Judge Spencer Williams of San Jose, Calif., lead plaintiff in the lawsuit filed last week in Washington.

With the new raise, federal triallevel judges receive $136,700 a

year while appellate judges get $145,000. Supreme Court associate justices are paid$ I 67,900 and the chief justice receives $175,400.

The judges contend the I 989 Ethics Reform Act grants them a cost-of-living raise whenever regular federal workers get one. Judges got such raises from _1991 through 1993, but they and other federal workers di.dn 't get raises in 1994.

From 1995through 1997,President Clinton signed legislation canceling cost-of-Ii ving raises for judges. · Another federal law enacted in

the early 1980s said judges could get raises only when specifically authorized by Congress. The judges contend the law expired in 1982 although federal officials have said it remains in effect.

The judges-say the cancellation of the 1995-97 cost-of-living raises violates the ethics law as well as the Constitution's guarantee that federal judges' salaries wi 11 not be reduced while they are in off.ice.

That promise - and federal judges' life tenure-aims to protect their independence from political pressure.

It is not unprecedented for judges to sue over their pay.

During the 1970s, about 130 federal judges unsuccessfully sued on a claim that the constitutional promise of undiminished salaries meant they were entitled to cost-of-living raises to keep pace with inflation. Judges' salaries had been frozen from I 969 to 1975.

The U.S. Court of Claims ruled against the judges in 1977, and the Supreme Court tumed down their appeal the following year.

Howe',!er, the Supreme Court ruled in 1980 that Congress and the president violated the Constitution by canceling pay raises for judges in 1976 and 1979 after the raises had taken effect.

The justices upheld Jaws enacted in 1977 and 1978 to cancel judges' cost-of-living raises. Those laws were valid because they were signed before the raises took effect, the high court said.

Even though the Supreme Court justices themselves got raises as a result of the ruling, the court did notdisqualif y it5elffromdeciding the case. The court relied on an ancient legal doctrine, the "rule of necessity," which let~ federal courts rule on subjects-such as income taxes- that affect all judges.

A year ago, Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist said in his annual endof-year message that e"roding salaries could wind up hamiing the quality of justice. Many judges could be earning much more in private law practice, he said.

The U.S. Judicial Conference, the federal judiciary's policymaking body, has lobbied in the past for cost-of-living raises, but it is not involved in the lawsuit.

The Justice Department declined comment on the case.

Paula Jones, center, talks with her tax attorney Brent C. Perry, right, of Ho_usto0 during a news ~onference in Long Beach, Calif. Tuesday. Jones' adviser Susa,:, Carpen(er-McMJ/Jan_ 1s at left. Jones attorneys announced that the Treasury Department has begun an mvest1gat1on mto the circumstances surroundmg an IRS audit of Jones and her husband, Stephen. AP

Congratulations & Goodluck!

to the newly elected CNMI leaders on your inauguration January 12, 1998

From the Management & Staff of·

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38-MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VIEWS-FRIDAY- JANUARY 9. l9lJK

Nichols' life spared by j By Steven K. Paulson

DENVER (AP) - In a bitter <lisappoimment co the families of the Oklahoma City bombing victims. Teny Nichols escaped the <le:Ith penalty Wednesday when a jury deadlocked over his punishment.

U.S. District Judge Richard Matsch dismissed the jury and will instead impose a sentence himself. Nichols could get up to life in prison without parole; un<ler federal law, only a jury can impose a death sentence.

Nichols. 42. sat expressionless upon le:1111ing he would not join his Army buddy Timothy McVcigh on death row, then smikd and hugged one of his lawyers atkr the jury left the room. Another lawyer patted him on the back.

··1 guess that"s what we hoped and prayed for." said Nichols' sister. Suzanne McDonnell.

r\ bank clerk on the jury cried. and others looked dejected when the judge announced he was taking mer the sentencing.

Terry Nichols

After deliberating 13 1/2 hours over two days, the jurors couldn't agree on the key question they had to answerto consider the death penalty: whether Nichols took pan in the plot with the knowledge someone could die.

"The differences of opinion were very strong:· said jury forewoman Niki Deutchman. "The sentencing phase obviously was excruciating. It was agonizing.

No immediate sentencing date

was set. Victims' relatives were

stunned. Some cried in court; others later expressed disappointment and anger.

··1 don't think this jury understood or had enough gumption to want to do this case the way it shou Id have been done," said Fred Anderson, whose wife, Rebecca, was killed when she was hit with debris while helping the victims.

Marsha Kight, who lost her <laughter, Frankie MeITill, in the bombing, said: "I'm extremely disappointed in my fellow man."

"I lost my daughter and 167 others lost their family members, too," she said, breaking into sobs. "I just don't understand."

Nichols could still wind up on death row because the district attorney in Oklahoma City has said he will bring Nichols and McVeigh to trial on state murder charges and press for the death penalty. "It's not over yet," District Attorney Bob Macy said.

"The goal is whoever blew up that building down the street and

ki lied all those people face justice. The men that did that need to die." Macy said later.

Defense attorney Michael Tigar said the judge gave the public a lesson. in the justice system and "we're pleased."

Prosecutor Larry Mackey said he understood "how difficult it must have been" for the jurors, although ··the victims are disappointed."

In June, a jury ordered a death sentence for McVcigh aflerconvicting him of murder, conspiracy and use of a truck bomb in the April 19, 1995, attack on the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building that killed 168 people.

At Nichols' trial, prosecutors argued that while Nichols was at home in Herington, Kan., when the bomb went off, he worked side by side with McVeigh to build and pay for the fuel-and-fertilizer bomb and put in place the getaway car McVeigh used.

Key pieces of evidence included a receipt for a ton of

CONGRATULATIONS & GOODLUCK!

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on your Inauguration January 12, 1998

From the Management & Staff of· ,~,, AFADAI 8EACA JIBTEL

fertilizer in Nichols' kitchen drawer and a letter to McVcigh telling him to "go for it."

Nichols was convicted on Dec. 23 of conspiracy and eight counts of involuntary manslaughter. But he was acquitted of first-degree murder and use of a truck bomb in the deadliest terrorist act ever on U.S. soil.

The mixed verdict had led legal analysts to predict that the jury would spare Nichols' life.

Ms. Deu tchman, the forewoman, said Nichols was convicted -of involuntary manslaughter instead of murder because "it was very hard to say from the evidence presented what TeITy Nichols' role was."

The jurors found him guilty of conspiracy because they believed "he knew there was

something big and nasty about to happen," she said.

In the trial's penalty phase, the jurors could have recommended death or life in prison, either of which would have been binding on the judge, or they could have decided unanimously to let the judge impose some lesser sentence.

All 12 jurors had to agree on the question of intent beyond a reasonable doubt before they could even proceed to consider the death penalty on his conspiracy conviction.

But the seven women and five men sent three notes over two days telling the judge that they could not agree on that question.

Ms. Deutchman said there were many different views among jurors on how much Nichols was involved, "all the way from a very tine amount, to totally."

She said the prosecution "perhaps really dropped the ball" in not following up on other possible conspirators, a point t_he defense had made during the trial. "I think there are other people out there," she said.

During the penalty phase, the defense portrayed Nichols as a loving family man, while prosecutors elicited anguished testimony from survivors and victims' relatives.

At one point la~t week, Tigar despaired of guiding the jury "from the shoals of vengeance to the safe harbors of reason" and asked the judge himself to decide on a sentence. The judge refused.

Nichols also will be sentenced up to six yeru, each for his involuntary manslaughter convictions in the deaths of eight federal law enforcemel'lt officers.

The announcement of the deadlock was unexpected. Some victims didn't even make it into the comtroom before the judge locked the doo1, rn1d announced his decision.

Jim Denny, whose children Bnmdon and Rebecca were injured in the bombing, sympathized with the jurors.

"I mean I really think that the 12 jurors became victims in this. 'Ilicy saw things Llial we saw that day mid probably mrn-c thm1 we saw," he said. "I 1-cally l't:el for thc:m. I Ll1ink they made the ri!.!hl choice in il:ttin<> Llic judge: handle it." "'

·FRIDAY, JANUARY 9, 1998 -MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VIEWS-39

Clinton unveils child care aid By Sandra Sobieraj

WASHINGTON(AP)-Republicans said Clinton should expect no blank check from Congress and suggeste<lheshouldbe looking at broader tax action.

"Noissueismoreimporumttoany family," thepresidentsaidinanEast Room announcement attended by a parade of children as well as officials and advocates. "It must rise above politics and partisan interests."

Such statements aside, Republicans were put in the position of reacting to a Clinton announcement for the third time in as many Jays. On Monday, he declared the federal budget would be balanced in 1998 for the first time in three decades and on Tuesday he proposed expanding Medicare.

In one major piece of the child care package, Clinton proposed adding $7 .5 bi II ion over five years to the state block grant program that gives child-care subsidies to low-income parents and parents just getting off welfare. The increase, if approved by Congress, would double to two million the numberof children eligible for assistance by 2003.

Clinton noted that, as a baby, he wassentto livewithhisgrandparents so his widowed mother could go to nursing school.

"I was lucky and it turned out reasonably well for me," he said to chuckles from the audience. "How many children are out there with exactly the srune potential who never got the same break?" ~ · Under his proposal, families earning under $60,000 would also get an expanded tax credit for child care expenses, meaning a potential average per-family tax cut of $358.

''Afamilyoffourmaking$35,000 and saddled with high child-care bills will no longer pay one penny in federal income taxes," Clinton promised.

Oneinitiative,modeledafteraproposal by Sen. Herb Kohl, D-Wis., that passed theSenate last year, would give businesses a tax credit-$ I off a company's tax bill for every $4 spent-forprovidingemployee child care.

"We know that the government cannot raise or love a child," Cl in ton said. "What the government is supposed to do is ... give people the tools that will enable Llicm to raise mid love thcirchil<lrcn while successfully prn·ticipating in Llic American workplace."

The administration expects that nearly a third of the money to pay for the package - which also includes after-school cm-e for older kids as well as u"aining for crn-egivers and a system for checking their ciiminal histoiies - would come from m1 anticipated settlement between the government and the tobacco indusuy.

The staging of W e<lnes<lay' s minounccment attested to the weight Democrats hope to give child crn-e in this midtc1m election yeru· and their hopes of winning over Republican votc1, with a pro-family appeal. First lady Hillmy Rodham Clinton and fellow parents Vice President Al Grn-e and Tipper Go1-e took turns at the lectern following a procession of a

President and Mrs. Clinton, escorted by Washington-area children who attend day care centers, walk to the East Room of the White House Wednesday where the president announced his proposed $21. 7 billion package in grants and tax breaks to help working families find affordable care. AP

dozen children to the tune of"Hail to the Chief."

Clinton uie<l to set a bipmtisan tone, inviting several Republican governors and members of Congress to share in the announcement. Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Almond and several congressional moderates showed up for the GOP.

Clinton cast his $21.7 billion package of new spending as "the single largest national commitment to child care in the history of the United States."

Republican officials on Capitol Hill reminded reporters that Congress approved $30 billion for chi Id care as part of the 1996 welfare overhaul-and they said they wcr~ not prepared to write Clinton a blank check.

Still, for a party eager to woo women voters, sensitivity to the. issue was apparent in Speaker Newt Gingrich's choice of two women - Ohio Rep. Deborah Pryce and Washington Rep. Jennifer Dunn - to respond on behalf of the House GOP leadership. Their stance: Republicans would prefer broad tax cuts for families.

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'40-MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VIEWS-FRIDAY-JANUARY 9, 1998

Agent protecting Clinton succmnbs

By Dave Skidmore WASHINGTON (AP) -A Customs Seivice agent has died from il~es suffered in a booting accident whileprotcctingPn:sidcntClintonand his fomily during their vacation in the Virgin Islands last week.

Senior Special Agent Manuel Zllrita died Tuesday night in a hospital inSanJuan,Puerto Rico, where he was airlifted after the Jan. I accident off SL Thomas, the Treasury Department said Wednesday. He was 47. · ZuritawasmnongthreeCustoms

agentssetiously injured New Year's Nightwhentheirvesselslruckareef in waters near the Charlotte Amalie · airport.

Clinton and Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin offered condolences toZurita's wife and four children.

''We are eternally grateful for the courageandbraveryofthemenand women who protect us each and every day," Clinton said in a state-

merit 'This tragic accident painfullyremindsusof therisksourlaw enforcement officials face keeping our country safe."

Zurita, a 12-year Customs veteran, suffered massive injuries. A seamdagentsustainedseverehead and neck survivors have been released from the hospitai.

The agents were aboard a 37-foot Customs Service speedboat in the flight path of Air Force One, helping to assure a secure landing. The accident occurred about 8:30 p.m. as the boat hit the reef after finishing its patrol.

One of the victims summoned help on a cellular telephone, and another Customs vessel arrived at the scene shortly afterwards. Two rescuers sustained minor in juries.

Air Ferre One, the presidential jet, had landed, and Clinton and his · family had left by motorcade for a four-dayvacationatabeachhouse when the accident occurred.

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Report: State Dept. helped DNC donor COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -Court transcripts indicate U.S. diplomats intervened in a Saudi Arabian business dispute .for a lobbyist the same week one of the lobbyist's clients gave $100,000 to the Democratic National Committee, a newspaper reported Wednesday.

Lobbyist David Wimer testified in an Ohio court case that he was able to arTange meetings "with a lot of very senior people, including members of the royal family" with assistance from the U.S. embassy in Saudi Arabia, according to transcripts a Franklin County judge released to The (Cleveland)Plain Dealeron Tuesday.

Wimer said he was trying to help Global Resources Management Inc., based in the Columbus suburb of Dublin, collect a debt of $4 billion to $6 billion for construction of defense-related oil storage bunkers in Saudi Arabia.

Wimer said he and fellow Global Resources lobbyist former "oemocratic Rep. Steve Solarz of New York met with Sau.di Defense and Aviation Minister

Prince Sultan in August, 1996. Another meeting, attended by Prince Su !tan and several former Reagan and Bush administ_ration diplomats, was held the next. month.

On Aug. 12, 1996, Global Resources gave the DNC a$100,000 check at a fund-raiser for President Clinton's birthday. Testimony from Mohamed El Naggar, an Egyptian national who co-owns the company, indicated the $ I 00,000 was money he had given to Global.

The DNC returned the money after the testimony was reported, citing "lingering uncertainty" about the source of the contribution. Political parties are generally barred from receiving foreign funds.

Wimer, a White House aide in the Nixon, Reagan and Bush administrations, owns the International Policy Analysis Center, a consulting company.

He said Global Resources paid his fees but that his "ultimate client" was Sheikh Mohammad Oboud Al-Amoudi, a Saudi businessman. His testimony suggests

Suspected spy will not return to Russia RENO, Nev. (AP)-An American who was arrested while installing a cellular phone system in Russia will not have to return to that country to face spying charges, Sen. Richard Bryan said Wednesday.

Bryan said high-level diplomatic negotiations per.;uaded Russia to lift aSaturdaydeadline forRichardB!iss to return. Bliss technically remains charged with espionage, but doesn't havetoanswertoRussianauthorities, the senator said.

Bliss works for San Diego-based Qualcomm and wasinstallingacommunicationsnetworkin Rostov.about

700miles south of Moscow, when he was charged with spying on Nov. 25.

He was 1eleased Dec. 5, and returned to San Diego Christmas nighl

"That was a pretty good indication that he was not a spy," Bryan said. "No country would allow a spy to return to the country of their origin."

Bryanapparentlybecameinvolved because Bliss' mother,Judy Bradley, lives in Carson City.

"She's on cloud nine," he said. Attempts to reach Russian officials

for comment were unsuccessful because of the time difference.

that Saudi money bankrolled Global Resources, the newspaper said.

Wimer said he checked on the businessman through the U.S. ambassador in Saudi Arabia, the State Department and other federal agencies. I-le said word came back from the Clinton administration that Amoudi was trust-. worthy and rich.

Global Resource is a partnership between El N aggar and Ahmed Abdulshafi, a native of Cairo who emigrated to the United States in 1979, according to the Ohio Jawsui t. It was established _to purchase construction and engineering firms based in the United States and overseas, records indicate.

The company planned to invest $3.5 million it obtained from a Saudi Arabian company in an oil and gas project in Ohio. Abdulshafi has charged that El Naggar made off with the money after the project fell through. El Naggar said the money went back to the Saudi company, according to court papers.

Pilots survive F-16 collision

HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah (AP) - A pair of Air Force F-16 fighters collided over the Utah Test and Training Range on Wednesday. Botl1 pilot~ survived.

One landed his plane at a nearby airfie Id and the Qther ejected safely. Neither pilot was seriously injured.

The collision occurred about I :30 p.m. during a training mission, said Capt. Dennis Mehring of Hill Air Force Base.

The plane of the pilot who ejected crashed on the training range, some I 05 miles west of the air base.

Additional details and the pilots' identities were not immediately released.


US unveils sanction es By George Gedda

WASHING.TON (AP)- Responding to complaints about the frequent use of economic sanctions as a foreign policy tool, the Clinton administration announced guidelines for

· imposing such measures. Undersecretary of State

Stuart Eizenstat said Wednesday the first step toward ending disarray on sanctions policy is "to get our own house in order."

Eizenstat, who heads the State Department's economic affairs bureau, outlined the initiative in a speech to the North American Committee of the National Policy Association.

His remarks came against a background of a sharp increase in recent years in the use of sanctions to punish adversary countries - and criticism from U.S. businesses. Eizenstat said a "sanctions team" will be Set up in the State Department to assist in decision-making.

The new approach, he said, will be guided by several principles:

-The United States should re~ort to sanctions only after other diplomatic options "have been tried and failed."

-Before unilateral measures are taken, international support and participation in any sanctions should be sought. .

-Sanctions should be designed carefully so that the target feels the pain and unnecessary hardships to the innocent are pre·vented. .

-The views of Congress, business groups and others should be sought to ensure that U.S. use of sanctions is appropriate.

Frank Kittredge, vice chairman of USA Engage, a private group highly critical of present policy, said he looks forward to working with the sanctions team "to develop a more deliberative process whereby unilateral sanctions become a tool to be utilized only when all diplomatic efforts have failed."

A cautious welcome was also offered by Kimberly Elliott of the Institute for International Economics, which in the past has stressed the high cost of sanctions to the U.S. economy.

''Better coon.lination of the range of sanctions cases sho~ld bring betlcr appreciation of the cumulative political and economic effects of sanctions," she said.

In his speech, Eizenstat acknowledged that "sanctions arc not costless." He noted that recent official estimates suggest the direct cost of economic sanctions to the U.S .. economy in 1995 were $15 billion to $19 billion in lost export sales and up to 250,000 jobs.

He also said U.S. sanctions were imposed 61 times between 1993 and I 996 - more than half the total since World War II.

Sen. Dick Lugar, R-Ind., a leading advocate for a more "deliberative approach" to U.S. sanctions policy, was not available for comment on Wednesday but in November he introduced legislation to establish procedural guidelines for imposing sanctions.

"Unilateral economic sanctions ... rarely achieve their foreign policy goals," he said. "They almost never help those who we want io help, frequently harm the United States more than the targeted country, and undermine our international competitiveness and economic security."

Eizenstat also discussed U.S. policy toward Cuba, where the United States is virtually alone in imposing economic sanctions. He said the

administration believes foreign businesses should abide by a series of principles before investing in Cuba.

Eizenstat did not outline

them in his speech but told reporters afterward the conditions should include Cuban workers "having the capacity for democratic expression" in

the workplace and companies being allowe·d to hire employees without the revolutionary loyalty tests the government now requires. ~~.,....,,,..,,.....

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US defense strategy adjusts to arms cuts

Robert Ge/bard Secretary of State for Implementation of the Dayton Peace Accord g'estures during a news confe_rence at the U.S. Information Agency in Washington Tuesday to discuss the peac<! accor1. Ge/bard said that the U.S. is concerned by the prospect of violence m two parts of the former Yugoslavia. AP

By BARRY SCHWEID WASHINGTON (AP) -Hoping the Russian parliament will approve the START II anns-reduction treaty by the end ofFebruary, the Clinton administration is preparing the Pentagon to be able to mount a sturdy nuclear defense with far fewer long-range missiles.

A new strategy directive approved by President Bill Clinton also is aimed at setting the stage for quicker and deeper cutbacks and assuring skeptics in Moscow that the United States will cut back its number of nuclear weapons.

The Russian parliament has dragged its feet on approving the 199~1- treaty. in part because it is unable or unwilling to build the weapons the agreement permits while scuttling those that are banned.

But with a new U.S. strategy, set out in the first major policy

Bill Clinton

overhaul in 17 years, the Pentagon and Russia can prepare for another round of cuts in a START III treaty, which the Clinton administiation is willing to negotiate quickly with Moscow.

The follow-on treaty would slash arsenals to 2,000 to 2,500 strategic warheads on each side.

Congratulations! to the

newly elected CNMI leaders

on your inauguration January 12, 1998.

& Goodluck! From the Management & Staff of·

INSURANCE UNDERWRITERS

Under agreements now in place, each country has about 8,000 nuclear warheads. START II would reduce that to about 3,000. The proposed ST ART III levels would be 80 percent smaller than the arsenals the United·States and the Soviet Union had during the Cold War.

The aim is robust but not brutal dete1Tence, said Robert G. Bell, the National Security Council's senior director for defense policy. ·•11 is a hedge against an uncertain future, with sufficient nuclear weapons to deter any hostile foreign leadership with access to nuclear forces," he said in an interview.

The directive was developed over a year by White House, Pentagon, State Department and Central Intelligence Agency officials and advisers to Vice President Al Gore. Bell said it retains the right of the United States to use nuclear weapons first if attacked.

However, U.S. nuclear weapons are no longer targeted on Russia, China or any other country, but at the oceans, Bell said. Neither Russia nor China arc seen as potential aggressors "so far as . we can see into the future," the White House official said.

"But given the uncertainties, they are a hedge against a leadership turning hos ti le," Bell said.

The directive does not change the three basic situations in which the United States might use nuclear weapons, he said.

They are: If the attacking country had nuclear weapons, if the aggressor violated the international treaty to curb the spread of nuclear technology and if it were allied to a nuclear power in its attack on the United States.

"In those instances, we reserve the right to use nuclear· weapons first, and it is reaffirmed .in this directive. Ith as not changed," Bell said.

But, with the support of the joint chiefs of staff, the directive plans for absorbing a first strike and then retaliating with nuclear forces at sea, on I and and in the air - even with a ceiling of 2,000 to 2,500 nuclear warhe:ids. Anticipating this strategy, Bell said the administration had talked to the Russians on "concepts" for a ST ART III treaty while "being very clear that we will not begin formal negotiations until START II has been ratified." He said he hoped the Duma would fulfill a long-standing promise by President Boris Yeltsin to approve the 1993 accord within four to six weeks.

Spurgeon Keeny, president of the private Arms Control Association, said the new directive makes possible the reductions called for in ST ART III - and even lower ceilings.

"While the chiefs were prepared to go to lower levels, they did not want to be operating under a directive that required much higher levels," Keeny said. "This takes the chiefs out of a bind."

,',

FRIDAY, JANUARY 9, 1998 -MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND YIEWS-43

Netanyahu tells US envoy: · ,

'Less room. to m.aneuver

Dennis Ross

By KARIN LAUB JERUSALEM (AP)-Concemed about hardliners' threats to topple his government. Israeli Prime Mini.ster Benjamin Netanyahu pl ans to reduce the scope of Israel's planned troop pullback Ill the West Bank, Israeli media said Wednesday.

Netanyahu has become more vulnerable since Foreign Minister David Levy resigned this week, reducing the coalition's m_ajority in the 120-member parl!ament from 66 to a minimal 61 seats.

Under pressure from the United States, Netanyahu reportedly was ready to offer a troop pullback from more than IO percent of the West Bank. The Palestinian already have full or partial control over 27 percent.

The Haaretz newspaper said that in a meeting with U.S. envoy Dennis Ross on Tuesday, the prime minister did not mention the size of the pullback he was willing to offer. However, the newspaper said Netanyahu plans to reduce the scope of the withdrawal somewhat to make it easier to win parliament's approval.

The Yediot Ahronot newspaper said Netanyahu told Ross that Israel would now only offer an 8-percent pullback unless the Palestinians agreed to forgo the next withdrawal.

Israel had committed to carry out three pullbacks by mid-1998. The first one was rejected by the Palestinians as insufficient and the second is two months overdue.

In his meeting with Palestinian leader Y asser Arafat on Tuesday evening, Ross did not mention any percentages raised by the Israelis, chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said.

Arafat urged Ross to pressure Netanyahu to ca1Ty out the three pullbacks as promised, Erekat said. Arafat also told Ross that Netanyahu has been using domestic crises to stall the peace process.

Netanvahu is expected to deliver a detailed plan for a withdrawal by Jan. 20, when he meets with U.S. President Bill Clinton in Washinl!.ton.

Nct:myalrn 's hawkish coalition partners renewed their thrc:Its Wednesday to bring down the oovcrnment. The next opportu~i ty would be on Monday when parliament holds a no conridc,:cc vote. Centrist lcadcrs, 111canwhrlc, said they wou Id bring down Netanyahu if he did not go ahead

with the pullback. However, the threats were much less specific. Nctanyahu has said he wouldcan-y out a troop pullback only if the Palestinians cracked down on Islamic militants, confiscated illegal weapons and reduced the size of their security forces.

Ross will have several more meetings with Netanyahu and Arafat before Friday to prepare forthe two leader's meetings with Clinton. Clinton and Arafat are scheduled to meet on Jan. 22.

The U.S. envoy was to meet withNetanyahu again on Wednesday evening and with Arafat on Thursday morning. He has also scheduled talks with Defense Minister Yitzhak Mordcchai who, along with Levy, is a key supporterof peace talks with the Palestinians.

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Mordcchai did not attend a meeting of Netanyahu 's inner circle of ministers on the peace process on Tuesday, p'.·ompting speculation he might follow 1n Levy's path.

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to the newly '\ 1·

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By Aldwin R. Fajardo Variety News Staff

IN TEN years. Saipan has witnessed how a big number of visitors were delighted by the fine, quality and friendly service rendered by employees and srnff of the Diamond Hotel.

But everything does not end there. The Saipan Diamond Hotel feels it can offer more to its varied guests and visitors as it grows bigger and better with time.

Hotel Manager Shinji Kikkawa says renovation and improvement projects have already been underway to attract more tourists and local people. -

"We have been working to improve our foci 1 i ties because we want our next decade to be a lot better than the good impression we created in our first IO years," Kikkawa adds.

Asked about Diamond's success recipe, Kik~awa says so-

Diamond Hotel General Manager Shinji Kikkawa flashes a smile for the Variety after a brief chat with us at

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cietal contribution is one important ingredient of success which led the 265-room hotel to its 10 years of progressive existence on Saipan.

"We contribute to the society," he says, while adding that his staff, mostly Filipinos, are reliable and efficient, which mirror Diamond Hotel's "se rv e-w i th-a-s mi 1 e-fromthe-heart" policy.

The hotel manager, who speaks a little Tagalog, says they have completed the multimillion renovation of all 265 guest rooms, which is a part of a series of upgrading projects slated for the hotel.

"We are looking forward to presenting these new rooms to our guests," Kikkawa says.

He adds that the new design is intended to appeal to international tastes. "We hope to expand our focus to include more guests from Guam, the us and other areas around the Pacific," he continues.

The new guest rooms reflect Saipan 's tropical allure, incorporating colors in tune with the local environment and drawing the outdoors within.

The newly-renovated suites, according to Creative Renovation President Dan Seymour, are colored with the hues from nature such as the coral reef, turquoise ocean, the green of the banana leaf, the subtle shades of sea shells and beach colors.

"The result. is a clean, re-freshing retreat," says Seymour.

Virtually everything in the Saipan Diamond's guest rooms is new. In fact, 40 containers, 45 feet in length, were imported to carry the new furniture, fixtures and equi17ment to Saipan for the project.

Even the balconies are newly outfitted with plants to carry the nature theme throughout.

The beachfront Saipan Diamond Hotel, headquartered in Tokyo, originally opened in 1987 and is one of the properties in the international chain, which includes hotels in Tokyo and Manila.

The Creative Renovation Group, formerly known as EarthFirst Hospitality ,which has worked on numerous fivestar hotels worldwide, spearheaded Diamond Hotel's room renovation.

The next step will be to redesign the public areas of the hotel and the landscaping ..

Another thing about Diamond Hotel is that it does not compete with other accommodation facilities in the Northern Marianas, Kikkawa says.

He adds that what they do is cooperate and unite with other hotels on the island to offer more rel_iable and better services.

"We do not compete with hotels on Saipan. We get to


_c[I-. A 'D1·amond' . . gether so we can fairly compete with other tourist destinations," he says.

Kikkawa continues that though room accommodation rates in the Marianas have dropped during the last quarter of 1997-ind the slump is expected to continue during the first few months of the year, he is

Diamond Hotel General Manager Shinji Kikkawa takes a break after a day-long activity for the hotel's 10th anniversary._

confident the industry will bounce back.

He says tourism industry, which suffered a downturn in the number of visitor arrivals due to the currency crisis in Asia, will hopefully normalize in four months.

"We are expecting more tourist arrivals and biggeroccupancy rate by April," according to him, while adding that the slump in tourism sector has a great impact in !he hotel industry's occupancy rate which suffered an unexpected blow. , He says occupancy rates started

declining last September, follow-

Now's time ... Continued from page 5

reasonable a=ss to capital and financing to enable them to participate in the economic development of the islands

The present state of the CNMI economy is deceiving. On the surface, the income generated from our present level of economic activities provides sufficient income to keep the level of public employment and public services at a desirable level.

This creates a feeling of stability and prosr,erity among our local residents. The simple fact is that the indigenous population of the CNMI has over the years become an economic and social minority.

There is even discussion among ce1tain circles to remove the restriction on land ownership, which is the last bastion ofindi genouscontrol over their most precious resources.

111e CNMI can not indefinitely maintain its present economic direction. ltimr,erntive forour leaders to sit down and assess where this present direction is leading the Commonwealth.

Our leaders must look beyond the horizon of the election year and assemble a development stn1tegy that will ensure the long and lasting prosr,e1ity of the CNMI for our indigenous people into the 21st century.

W.R. CONCEPCION

• Continued from page 44

ing the continued depreciation of local currencies against the US dollar.

"At this point, it is very hard to predict the number of tourists coming in because of the (downturn in) economy," he says.

Kikkawa believes it will be slightly bad during the first four months of the year-for the hotel industry, but promptly added that the situation will eventually stabilize.

He says occupancy rate during the January-August period last year was about 80 percent to 90 percent which dropped to 55-65 percent from September-to December.

"We are expected to experience the same thing during the first months of the year but it will be better by April," he stresses.

Kikkawa is expecting the Japanese economy to normalize in several months, asregional currencies gains strength against the US dollar.

Refreshing retreat: Diamond Hotel's newly-renovated, nature-colored suite waits for the next visitor for a ·relaxing, IUXUriOUS treat. F't .. ,tos lly Bing Chavez

The Bank of Guam offers its best wishes on your

10th Anniversary Celebration.

r,@cj~gratulatiorls/for all of the ti, _,.,' q.~~:;l~ .. flt.has brought

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groJa:ij::,~(icl<$JtCess in the years to come.

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Iran said building missiles By Harry Dunphy

WASIDNGTON(AP)-Withthe help of North Korea, China and Russia, Iran is trying to develop a missile capable of striking anywhere in the Mideastandhopestotestfirecomponents by the end of the year, the main Iranian opposition group said

Wednesday. But U.S. intelligence experts and

other analysts estiniate ·it will be two to IO years before Iranians will have an operational weapon with a payload and fire it down range.

Officials of the U.S.- and Frenchbased National Council ofResistance

of Iran, a coalition of opposition groups that includes the Peoples' Mu jahedin, released what they said was the most detailed description of the missile project, obtained from sources within the Iranian regime. For security reasons, they declined to be identify their sources.

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Alireza Jafarzadeh, a member of the council's foreign relations committee, said that as part of an effort to become the dominant Islamic state in the region and rival Israel in military technology, Iran is doing all it can to obtain weapons of mass destrnction and to produce mediumrange missiles.

CIA Director George Tenet has said Iran is building capabilities to produce and deliver these chemical, biological and nuclear weapons and probably would have a missile capable of striking Israel and Saudi Arabia in less than IO years.

Jafarzadeh said Iran had spent $1.2 billion trying to develop the missile, including $300 million last year. He said the engine of the Shahab missile was recently tested successfully. The missile would have a range of more than 800 miles and can-y a 2,200-pound payload.

"Presently, dozens of North Korean and Chinese missile experts are stationed at the Hemat (research) complex," Jafarzadeh said. He said Russians were helping Iran with thermodynamic problems and wind-tunnel tests "but North Korean involvement is substantial."

Iraqi Minister of Defence Gen. Sultan Hashim Ahmed left and Minister of oil Gen. Amer Mohammed Rashid, rig/JI, help Stat~ Minister for military affairs Abdul Jabbar S/Janshel Tuesday as /Je leaves ceremony on the 77th occasion of the Army Day in Baghdad. AP

Iraq to resume oil exports over weekend

BAGHDAD, IRAQ (AP)-Iraq will resume oil expo11S this weekend under the United Nations-approved oi Ifor food-progmm, tl1e oil minister said Wednesday. ·

The announcement came a day after the United Nations approved Baghdad's plan for distributing humanitarian supplies purchased with oil revenues.

Iraq stopped exports last month pending approval of the plan.

Year Anniversary_

Oil Minister Amer Mohammed Rashid told a news conference that Iraq will begin pumping oil this weekend to Ceyhan terminal in Turkey and Bakr terminal in southern Iraq.

The U.N. Security Council approved the third phase of the oil-forfood program on Dec. 4, but Imq refused to pump oil until its food plan wru; approved. It also delayed oil sales at the start of the second, sixmonth period Jru;t June on similar grounds.

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The special oil-for-food program allows Iraq to sell $2 billion in oil over a six-month period to buy needed food and medicine for its 22 million people.

It is an exception from the sanctions imposed afterlraq's l 990invasion of Kuwait that ban oil sales.

j. {


Kremlin: No Yeltsin work cut By Lynn Berry

MOSCOW(AP)-Even though President Boris Yeltsin has postponed two international summits - renewing concerns about his health - theKremlin said Wednesday he has plenty on his schedule later this month.

The release of the president's January schedule appeared aimed to counter speculation that arose Tuesday when he postponed a trip to India and a summit of regional leaders. Both events were planned for January.

Yeltsin has a history of heart trouble and was out for two weeks earlier this winter with what doctors said was a bad cold. His doctors and Kremlin officials have said he has recoverec;I fully and there were no ill effects.

The Kremlin has issued no official statement on his health in recent days, but a spoke woman speaking on condition of anonymity said Tuesday that the president's condition has not changed.

Boris Yeltsin

Yeltsin is now on a two-week vacation that is to keep him away from the Kremlin until Jan. 19.

Unlike past vacations, however, he will have no visitors while staying at a government country retreat in northwestern Russia. He will stay in touch by telephone, presidential aides said. Yeltsin spoke Tuesday with German Chancellor Helmut Kohl and Prime Minister Viktor

Red Cross launches appeal for $167M

By Philip Waller GENEVA (AP) - The International Red Crossappealed Thursday for $167 million for this year's relief operations,focusing on diseases and natural disasters caused by the weather phenomenon El Nino.

The group's 1998 program reflects a shift away from refugee aid, its emphasis for the last decade, according to a 263-page report by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

The plan aims to help more than IO million people in 56. countries.

Helping people·. in countries w_ith poor· medical services is a major priority, the report said. Those include war-torn nations and former communist states where tra- · ditional social safety nets are crumbling but alternatives are not yet in place.

The federation's largest re-

gional operation is in central Asia, where it says $16.6 million is needed to help 2.6 million people. Many in Kazakstan, for example, are undernourished and lack adequate heating.

The group plans to help victirn s of malaria in Azerbaijan and Sudan, meningitis and cholera in Africa, typhoid in Tajikistan and HIV and AIDS in Asia and Africa.

In Papua New Guinea, which has been hit by civil strife and drought, the group is spending $2.3 million on medical aid and resettlement.

The Red Cross federation groups 175 national Red Cross and Muslim Red Crescent societies worldwide.

The appeal, down from its $208 million request last year, is for donations from the national societies, governments and individuals.

Serbian police clubbing Partizan basketball fans awaiting the arrival of the players from the rival team from Croatia, in front of Belgrade's Intercontinental Hotel on Wednesday. Police fear violence ahead of the match between Partizan and Cibona in the Euro Basketball League scheduled for Thursday. AP

Chemomyrdin. The day he returns to his Krem

lin office, Yeltsin will hold working meetings with Chemomyrdin and other ministers, the Interfax news agency said Wednesday, citing a presidential aide accompanying Yeltsin on his vacation.

Other talks with lawmakers, the

military and foreign leaders will follow throughout the month, the Kremlin said.

Y cltsin was to travel to India and host a summit of the Commonwealth of Independent States later this month.

With little explanation, the India visit was meeting of leaders of

Congratulations!

On your

12 former Soviet republics was pushed back until March.

Yeltsin-who has appeared fit and vigorous appeared on tekvision Tuesday evening in a tapcu Christmas Eve mcssal!e to Russians, who celebrate ~Christmas on Jan. 7. He spoke slowly but without appan:nt difficul1y.

1 Qth Year Annivers J

From the Management & Staff of

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Turkey clamps down on human smuggling

··--

Illegal immigrants pose for the media in a container at the Harem port in Istanbul on Saturday. 18 immigrants were arrested after they were discovered hiding inside a truck that was about to board an Italian-bound cargo ship. AP

By YALMAN ONARAN ISTANBUL, Turkey- Whil~ some c1iticizcd it :L~ a cosmetic show of !()1-c<:, Turkish authrnitics inrn:ascJ cffo11S to d:u11p down rn1 mnipant hum:m smuggling Wcd11es<l,1y. :u·rcsting some 2(Xl people supposedly heading to Europe.

Europc,u1 leadc1, have Jem:mucd a crackd0\\11 on smuggling rings after boatloads of Kurds :md immir.r,mts from Asia llcd Turkey for Italy in n:centweeks. Turkey \police chief Nccati BiliGm llcw to Rome on \V cdncsdav to attend a meeting tl1e following day of police officials lirn1 Italy, Fnmcc. Gem1,my, the Netlicr-1.uids mid G1cece.

In the last few days, Turkish police have detaine<l hundreds of would-be immignmtsaround Istanbul and along Turkey's borders.

On Wednesday in &lime province. police caught 166people as tliey attempted to cross tlie Meric River illegally to Greece, Anatolia new agency rcpo1ted. Most were Iraqi Kurds ,md tl1e rest from Egypt, Mo-

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rocco. lr:ui. India .uiJ Pakist,m. l lo1~ful immignmts have been at

tempting to cross the river almost daily owr thc yc,u,. but they would usually not be ,un:sted, just 1ctumcd to lstm1bul.

In suburb,u1 lst:mbul late Tuesday night, police 1:1ided houses rn1d offices. rounding up 41 Irnqi Kurds without 1xL~spo1ts.

111e government depo11s illegal lmqi Kurds, but those from fru·-away Asi:mcounoies:u'\:usuallyfrcedagain since tl1ey cmmot afford to lly back home.

'I11c Cabinet, which met Tuesday. :umounccd the govcmment would !'\:View its visa policy :md take mcasu1cs to tiQhten it, borders. However. a cou1t o; Tuesday evening 1cleased th1'\:e Turks charged with smuggling people overseas citing lack of evidence. Oneofthem was Recep Kubak, the owner of tlie "Ararat" ship which was caught off the Italian coast with some 800 illegal immigrants on board last montli.

"Just to please Europe~mcriticism,

1 Olh Year Anniversary From the Management & Staff of'

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thev came and took 1x:opi<:. some ul wh;im have ken hen: fmve,u-s." s:1id Asl,ui S:u-itcm ur. owner< >f thc Ker\':ui I lotc I. whose cus10111c1, 11·erc :1111rn1g

those rounded up. "Thcy'rc going to k~p thcrn in for tlm:c 1rnmths :u1J then let them go. ·111cy never dqxJ11 them. So what is the point''"

Interior Minister Murat I3a'iCsgioglu ha"aid ,m investigation is under way tl, I ind out i !'g, 1vcn1111cnt agencies failed to do all they rnuld to stop the cxcxlus.

Boats full of Kurds c.iught oil ltali,m shores in 1c:ccnt 1wcks inc1c:ascd pn:ssure on Turkcy to halt th: exodus. Turkey has blamed the ,IU

lonomy-scckingKun.lishrebelgroup, PKK, for the inllux while Italy offered:l,ylum to them, defending their plight.

'The main problem is the oppression of the Kurds in the southc,L,t,'' said Kuyumcu, a Kurd himself. "As long as the war goes on ,md we' 1e all treated like te1mists, the fleeing will goon."

Turkey is regularly criticized for its human-iighL, violations d1.11ing its fight against the PKK.

11,e recent illegal immigration involved Kurtis, but tlie smuggl ing1ings have been sending southeastern Asians :md Aflic:uis to the West for almost IO yew,, witnesses said.

Yemeni . . standoff. SAN'A, Yemen (AP) - Govem

ment troops su1rounded a mountainous hideout of Yemeni uibesmen who held three South Koreans hostage in Dhamar, about 100 kilometers (62 miles) south of the capital San'a, an Inte1ior Minisu-y official said Wednesday.

The South Korean Fo1ci1c-'ll Ministry identified the hostages as Yoo Sang-ok, 35, the wife of a diplomat at tlieembassy in San'a; her 3-year-old daughter, Kyu-won; and Ko Yongjoon, 30, a Soutli Ko1ean businessman selling cars in Yemen.

'The Yemenigovemmentisdoing its best to win the safe release of tlie Soutli Koreans in close cooperation with the South Kore:m Emb,l,sy,'' Song Young-oh, a South Korean Foreign Ministry official, said Wednesday in Seoul. ·nic Hadda tJibe kidnapped the tl11ce Monday in San'a and took them to Dhamm-, said the Inte1ior Minisu-y official speak -ing on customrn-y condition of rn10-nymity.

'n1e Yemeni official said tl1e I ladda uibe abducted the Kon::ms to p1'\:ssure the government into executing three men convicted of raping a 13-yc,u·-o\d Hadda boy.

One m,u1 convi;:ted of the kidnap mid rnpc was repo11cdly shot to death by a li1ing squad la'il month. ·nirec other 1:x:op\e who took 1xu1 i 11 the 1~1pc but not in the kidnapping 1w1-c sentenced to I (Xl hL~hes ,md live to I 0 yern,; in piison.

Following protests from I ladd:i uibesmcn, :m appeals cou11111lcd all four should be executed. But the Sup1cme Cou1t uphckl only the one deatl1 sentence.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 9, 1998-MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND V[Ews:49

Algerians nix outside aid

Women from the village of Chekala, a remote western Algerian village of the region of Relizane, watch a baby crawling during a break while fleeing their village Tuesday. Terrified of the incessant carnage in their country, many Algerian villagers fled their homes. 200 people were killed in Chekala in a weekend massacre, bringing the total killed since Saturday to nearly 400. AP

By Elaine Ganley PARIS (AP)- While the massacres blamed on Islamic insurgents are quickening their deadly pace, Algerian authorities have publicly ·refused outside aid or an independent investigation into the slaughter.

And despite a State Department report Wednesday that Algeria would accept a human· rights investigator, there was no indication in the North African country that the government had changed its position.

Algerian authorities, meanwhile, have refused to explain why the army.has not been able to protect citizens from unbelievably gruesome massacres.

"Where is the president? Where are our elected officials? What are they waiting for to come and see us?" said Farid a, a 24-year-old woman who lost her husband and three children Sunday in a mountain village massacre in western Algeria.

Farida, who spoke with The Associated Press in Algeria, was among about I 00 survivors who took refuge in the mosque at Chekala, the closest town to her village, 150 miles from Algiers. And she is one of the rare survivors who dares utter the questions so many others keep to themselves.

The bloodshed has killed tens of thousands, terrified the nation and horrified the world. But it meets a w:111 of official silence at the seat of power, six years after the Muslim insurgency began.

On Tuesday, Algeria "cat-· cgorically rejected" a call by the United States for an independent inquiry. In an apparent contradiction, the U.S. State

Department said Wednesday that a human rights investigator was sti.11 a possibility.

"They told us that they would accept a visit," spokesman James P. Rubin said after a telephone report from U.S. Ambassador Cameron Hume in Algeria.

More than 1,000 people are estimated to have been killed since the start of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan on Dec. 30. In the worst single episode of carnage in six years, more than 400 people were killed around Relizane,. near Chekala, as dusk settled and Ramadan began.

An estimated 75,000 people have been killed since the violence began, triggered by a January 1992 army coup that deposed President Chadli Ben<ljedid and aborted legislative elections to stop a Muslim fundamentalist party frorn winning.

Authorities only occasionally acknowledge· massacres in rural villages, which usually arc blamed on the radical Armed Islamic Grot1p. When they do, it is with a terse statement and a death toll that Algerians usually multiply by three to get a notion of the true number o dead.

Sccuri ty forces, quoted Wednesday by the state-rnn Algerian Press Service, put the death toll at 62 in massacres at mountain hamlets around Chekala. The Algerian press estimated deaths at 150 to 300.

Officials never visit massacre sites to express condolences to survivors. In some cases, soldiers bury the dead immediately, out of sight of family members.

'The feeling of abandonment is strong and real in the countryside," the privately owned, French-language newspaper El Watan said Wednesday. "Even abject massacres don't seem to move those charged with guar-

antecing the physical protection of citizens."

The official silence, combined with the army's failure to intervene to save citizens, has led to questions about who is killing whom.

Massacres in August in Rais and in September in Bentalha, two Algiers bedroom communities, were carried out in the shadow of army bai,-acks, not far from the country's heaviest concentration of military personnel.

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Canadian gov't apologizes By David Crary

TORONTO (AP) - ln .. an unprccclkntcd gesture of reconciliation to Canada ·s native peoples, the government apologized Wednesday for past acts of oppression. including decades of ;1buse al ft:ucr.illy funued boarding schools.

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The apology-sought for years by native leaders - was part of a sweeping federal initiative to improve strained relations with Indian and Inuit communities. More explicitly than ever before, the government expressed regret at past treatment of aboriginals and pledged to support native self-

government. l11e statement of reconcilia

tion was read aloud by Indian Affairs Minister Jane Stewart, then presented in the form of scrolls to five senior native leaders at a ceremony on Parliament Hill in Ottawa.

"Sadly, our history with re-

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spect to the treatment of aboriginal people is not something in which we can take pride," Stewart said. "We must ensure that the mistakes which marked our past relationship are not repeated."

These include a network of boarding schools established across Canada with the goal of severing native youth; from their own culture and assimilating them in white society. More than 80 of the church-run, government-funded schools operated fornearly a century, beginning in the ! 880s.

Hundreds of former pupils have told investigators of rapes, beatings, suicides, suspicious deaths and humiliating punishments at the schools.

"To those individuals who experienced the tragedy of sexual and phy?ical abuse ... and who have carried this burden believing that in some way they must be responsible, we wish to emphasize that what you experienced was not your fault, and. should never have happened," Stewart said. "To those of you who suffered this tragedy at residential schools, we are deeply sorry."

The government pledged $245 million to fund counseling and treatment programs for victims of abuse at the schools.

Stewart also promised additional funds to improve life on reservations, including programs for health care, youth employment and career development.

Canada's aboriginal population is about 810,000, including Indians, 38,000 Inuits (formerly

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known as Eskimos) and 139,000 Metis -people of mixed Indian and white ancestry.

The government initiative was hailed by the head of the national assembly of Indian chiefs as a "historic opportunity."

"This gathering celebrates the beginning of a new era," said Phil Fontaine, grand chief of the Assembly of First Nations. "For the first time, the government has accepted us as full partners."

But Fontaine cautioned more work remained to build self-reliant native communities. And some other native leaders criticized the initiative for not going far enough or for being too vague on financial commitments.

Gerald Morin, president of the Melis National Council, said the initiative "offers v~ry little" to the Metis, especially because it still excludes them from filing land claims that could lead to self-government.

But Morin said he was pleased the government pledged to officially honor the contributions of Me tis leader Louis Riel, who was hanged as a traitor in I 885 for leading a rebellion against unjust treatment of his people.

Stewart became Indian Affairs minister in June, and has since overseen federal efforts to respond to a 1996 report by a government-appointed commission on Canada's aboriginals. The report urged the government to allocate billions of dollars to improve the economic and political status of aboriginals.

The commission said a major change in government attitude was needed to avoid a worsening of current problems, including a 25 percent native jobless rate, Indian street gangs, pervasive substance abuse, family violence, high rates of teen-age suicide and poverty.

"We have listened and we have heard," Stewart said. "The time has come to state that the days of paternalism and disrespect are behind us and that we are committed to changing the nature of the relationship between aboriginal and non-aboriginal people in Canaua."

Desmond Pichon gives Patricia Pichon a lift as they ·cross Beechwood Drive in Slidell, La., Wednesday. Two days of heavy rains in South Louisiana caused street flooding and forced swollen creeks out of their banks. AP

I

j


Northern Ireland police scores

Car bo1nb attack foiled By SHAWN POGATCHNIK

BELF AST,Northemlreland (AP) -Police in N01thcrnireland defused a cm·bomb Wednesday in a predominantly Protestant market town nem· Belfast, thwmting an attack designed to raise sectmian tensions and fu1ther damage N01them IrehUld' s peacemaking eff01ts.

Police evacuated pubs, restaurants :Ulu businesses Tuesday night in downtown Banb1idge, 18 miles (28 kms) southwest of Belfast.

A British army bomb squad using aremote-controlledrobotspentseven hours safely defusing the device inside the red.Ford Sima, which contained about 300 pounds ( 140 kg) of explosives.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but both Catholic and Protestant politicians pointed to Irish Republican Army dissidents eying towreckNorthemlreland'sdelicately bal,U1ced cea'iC-fires.

l11e cm· bomb was planted just a few hours after the imprisoned leaders of Northern Ireland's largest proBiitish paramilitary group, the Ulster

Defense Association or UDA, insisted they can no longer support the participation of their group's politicians in peace talks.

The widespread fear now is that they will formally resume their campaign of terror against Northern Ireland's Catholic minority.

The IRA stopped its violent campaign against British rule in July to permit its alliedSinn Fein party to join the talks.

But the day after Sinn Fein entered an IRA breakaway gang, the so-called Continuity IRA, claimed responsibility for a 500-pourid (230 kg) car bomb in Markethill, another mostly Protestant town near Banbridge.

Mo Mowlam, the British minister responsible for governing Northern Ireland, will meet in London on Wednesday with the UDA 'spolitical party, the Ulster Democrats.

In Hillsborough, Northern Ireland, IrishForeignMinisterDavidAndrews will meet with representatives of the province's other major pro-British gang, the Ulster Volunteer Force, whichisalsodividedoverwhetherto

return to violence. David Trimble, Protestant leader

of Northern Ireland's largest pmty, the Ulster Unionists,on Tuesday went insidetheMazepiisonoutsideBelfast to appeal to UDA and UVF leaders

On your

there to stick to their joint Octo~r 1994 cease-fire.

OnWednesdayhesaiditwas"perfectly obvious" the Banbridge car bomb was planted "by some branch of the IRA, whatever name they

choose to call themselves." Before the UDA prisoners met

Trimble, they had already rejected the arguments of a delegation from their own legal political party, the Ulster Democrats.

French protesters demand aid 101h Year Anniversary

By Jean-Marie Godard PARIS (AP) - Thousands of protesters occupied unemploymentofficesand marched through Paris and about 50 other cities Wednesday to demand increased government aid for the jobless.

Labor Minister Martine Aubry, meanwhile, told the parliament the government has heard the protesters.

Late Wednesday afternoon, the state unemployment agency agreed to provide $2 million in urgent funds to the hardest-hit unemployed, mainly to help them pay for housing.

About 3,000 people marched from the central Paris unemployment office to the Finance Minis

. try, shouting, "Those who sow misery, harvest anger."

By Wednesday night, unemployed activists had occupied 28 state unemployment agencies around France, up from 18 on

. Monday. For almost a month, hundreds

of the 12.4 percent of French atlul ts out of work have staged protests to dcmanu a one-time, yea1·-end subsidy of $500 and higher unemployment benefits.

Some protesters and police briefly clashed central city of Lyon, and about I 00 demonstrators staged a sit-in at the City Hall of Rennes, the capital of western France.

About 3,000 people protested in the Mediterranean port city of Marseille, where unemployment is higher than the national average, and demonstrations were held in dozens of other cities.

The escalating protests have become a serious problem for the leftist government of Socialist Prime Minister Lionel Jospin. which has come up with plans to reduce unemployment but has ref used to increase aid to the job-

less. Communist and Green Party

members of Jospin's response. The leftists took power in elections Just June by promising to make the fight against unemployment their highest priority.

Over the weekend, Aubry said $85 million would be earmarked for training programs. She also has persuaded local governments to create crisis teams to help the long-term unemployed.

From the Management & Staff of'

Congratulations!

On your .. "' t"'

], (IDli lln Year Anniversary

From the Management & Staff of:

DOLPHIN PACIFIC (SaipanJ INC. Tel. 234~6331 • Fax 234-8095

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52-MAR!ANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VIEWS-FRIDAY- JANUARY 9, 1998

CBO sees budgets

A Cessna Citation 500 lies at the end of the runway at Allegheny County Airport in a trailer court Tuesday in West Mifflin, Pa. One of three people on board was hospitalized, a passenger from Akron, Ohio. The pilot and co-pilot refused treatment. No people were injured in the trailer park. AP

By Alan Fram WASHINGTON (AP) - In a report only" dreamers could have imagined a year ago, the Congressional Budget Office projected Wednesday that if lawmakers do nothing, this year's federal deficit will shrink to $5 billion and annual surpluses will take hold starting in 200 I.

"The federal budget is likely to be essentially balanced for the next IO years if current policies remain unchanged," the report said dryly, providing the latest sign that the humming economy has halted the long era of federal deficits for now.

The nonpartisan agency's forecast was sure to fuel the debate between President Clinton and Republicans over how to divide the windfall.

Though both Clinton and GOP leaders have said they want to

·begin retiring the accumulated $5 .4 trill ion national debt, Republicans have talked of making broad tax cuts. Clinton and many

Congratulations!

' ~ J&

r

On your

1 O'h Year Anniversary

From the Management & Staff of"

'1!!11/f/A Tropical Laundry & Linen Supply Co. Ltd.

•

~ P.O. BOX 540 CHRB, SAIPAN, MP 96950

• PHONE: 322-3077 • FAX: 322-4062 E-MAIL: [email protected]

lus tions plus expansions of Medicare, child care and other programs.

111c CBO said it envisions that the deficit for fiscal 1999-which begins next Oct. I-will bejust$2 billion. 1l1at means that Cli1~ton 's promise Monday to propose a bal:mced 1999 budget next month shou Id require very little heavy lifting - considering that it will be a $1 .7 trillion spending plan.

Clinton said the administration expects this year's deficit to be less than $22 billion, well above the CBO's $5 billion projection. But Lawrence Haas, spokesman for the White House budget office, said the two agencies' deficit forfeited.

Republicans are also considered certain to move a balanced 1999 budget through Congress this year, three years ahead of the

. sc hcdu le called for by last summer's budget agreement between Clinton and lawmakers.

As a practical matter, the budget is already balanced because deficits of this magnitude have virtually no effect on the $8.4 trillion economy. But for political reasons, both Clinton and most lawmakers are eager to claim the trophy of an actual surplus and an end to that has dominated policy-making and politics.

"This is great news for the American people," said Senate BudgetCommittee Chairman Pete· Domenici, R-N.M., who simultaneously warned that "now is not the time to start passing a raft of new federal programs."

"We have to make sure this doesn't represent Christmas in springtime," fired back Sen. Frank Lautenberg of New Jersey, the committee's top Democrat, referring to GOP tax-cut hopes.

CBO officials warned that the deficit problem was not permanently licked. They warned that a recession could create $100 billion sho1tfalls, that lawmakers still must make spending cuts promised in last summer's budget deal, and that retiring baby boomers would cause renewed fiscal problems beginning in about a decade.

But fornow, CBO 's budget picture was merely has seen deficit forecasts by the White House and congressional analysts plummet by the month. Just a year ago, both of them overestimated the $22 billion 1997 gap by more than $ ICXJ billion.

The red ink's disappearing act' has been mostly driven by a still unexplained surge of federal revenue, though both the White House and Congress have been claiming credit by citing deficit-cutting packages enacted in recent years.

The CBO envisions a $3 billion deficit in 2000, followed by a $14 bi! lion surplus in 200 I. The black ink would grow gradually to $138 billion in 2008, the last year for which the budget office produced data.

The last balanced budget was in 1969. But it was followed by a string of deficits that reached a peak of $290 billion in 1992 before it began to ebb.

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Physicist to clone hlllllans By James Webb

CHICAGO (~P)-A scientisfs claim that he will start cloning humans within two.years set off a nationwide clamor Wednesday from doctors who say it can't be done, ethicists who say it won't kt it be done.

He says he has the expertise as well as couples· willing to take part, if he can set up an independent laboratory and raise the $2 million he estimates is needed.

Dr. Richard Seed scoffed at the widespread opposition to the concept of human cloning-a possibility that suddenly seemed closer to reality .last year after Scottish scientists announced they had cloned the adult sheep Dolly, the first cloned mammal.

"New things of any kind, mechanical, biological, intellectual, always tend to create fear," Seed said. 'Then the subject becomes tolerated and ignored. And the third stage, which always happens, is the subject becomes enthusiastically endorsed, and I think the same thing will happen in human cloning."

Researchers said cloning humans might one day be possible but would be inefficient, pointing out that the Scottish team wentthrough277 sheep before cloning Dolly.

'The idea of setting up a human cloning clinic is kind of a crackpot notion, even forgetting the ethical issues, because the effectiveness rate would be so low," said Dr. Sherman Silber, directorof the Infertility Center of St. Lou is.

Dr. Lawrence Lay.man, chief of reproductive endocrinology and i11fertility at the University of Chicago Hospitals, said, "It's not like he can just throw together a lab and just do it."

Seed, who describes himself as "eccentric or brilliant or neargenius," said he hopes to begin his work within the next few months and set a goal of producing a pregnancy in a woman within I 1/2 years.

He suggested that the techniques would be similar to those used to create the cloned sheep. DNA would be removed from a woman's egg and replaced with the DNA from the person to be cloned. The fe1·tilized egg would grow into an embryo that would be placcJ into the woman, who would give birth to the cloned child.

President Cl in ton has barred the use of federal funds on human cloning, and a bi II that would make his order permanent is among several anti-cloning measures in Congress.

A national panel recommended last year after Dolly's cloning that Congress make human cloning illegal, saying the technique posed unacceptable risks of mutations and raised troubling ethical questions.

"The scientific community ought to make it clear to Dr. Seed - and I think the president will make it clear to Dr. Seed - that he has elected to become irresponsible, unethical and unprofessional should he pursue the course that he outlined today,"

said White House spokesman Mike McCurry.

House Majority i:..,eader Dick Armey said Congress should pass a humancloningbanquickly,and Sen. Christopher Bond, R-Mo., who in-

troduced such legislation last year, said he will push for emergency action when Congress reconvenes at the end of the month.

Seed and his brother developed a technique for transfening fcrtiliz.e<l

embryosfromonewoman toanothcr in the early 1980s but failed in their attemptto make the procedure a commercial success. I-le said hum,mcloning will help infe1tile couples with nowhere else to go and will spur

Dr. Richard Seed answers questions outside his home in Riverside, Ill., Wednesday about his plans to clone a human being. Seed said he hopes to produce a two-month pregnancy within a woman in the next year and a half. AP

On your

genetic adv,mccs that could lead to the cure for disc,L,cs such ,L, cancer.

Seed said he hrn; debated his views with his Methodist p,L,tor.

""God made 111:u1 in his own image. Thcrcfon:, he intended that m:.m should become one with Gcxl. Mm1 shoulu have m1 indefinite life and have indefinite knowledge. And we 're going to do it. ,md this is one step," Seed said.

Hedcclim:u to identify thecourles he said wen~ willing to undergo the proccJun:. but said ,1 tabloid offen:d $2(Xl.(XXl for thci1· strn1 .

Seed's phms arc unethical on several levds.said Ann Dudh:yGoldblatt, assistant di1\:ctor or the MacLc,u1 Ccntc1· l<>r( "linical MeJical Ethics at the University if Chicago.

Most i111prn1,u1tly. because ··it is a copy of anothc1· human being, a Xerox." Mrs. C,oldblatt said. But it is also an idea prone to rqxatcd failures, and Seed is "rulling at the hea1tsu·ings of people who desperately w,u1t to haw u child."

.. So I think it's too bad you 're all paying so much attention," she said.

Year Anniversary From the Management & Staff oJ-

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54-MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VIEWS-FRIDAY- JANUARY 9,'1998

Phones, devices distract drivers By Randolph E. Schmid

W ASHlNGTON (AP)-Cellular phones and other popular new devices - even laptop computers -are increa,ingly distracting drivers on Ametica's streets and highways, the government said Wednesday.

Driver inattention already is a factor in half of all auto accidents, officials say, and things can only l;e expected to get worse.

"As cars more and more l;ecome an extension of the home and office, we are creating a whole new array of potentially hazardous distractions," said Dr. Ricardo Martinez, head of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

"We are l;eginning to see crashes ... where drivers were using laptop computers while driving and thirdparty suppliers are now providing hardware for mounting laptop computers adjacent to the c.hiver or, in some cases, right on the steering wheel,''hisagencyreportedWednesday.

Martinez, a former emergency room doctor, recalled treatingadriver who crashed into a tree while changing a tape. In another case, several bicyclistswerestrnck by a car when the driver reached into the glove compartment for a compact disc.

"We're adding so many distractions we' re creating part-ti me

~upreme C!Court of tbe

Qi:ommonh:Jealtb of tbe ~ortbem ;fflartana llslanbs

PUBLIC NOTICE The Commonwealth Bar Examinations (MBE and Essay)

are scheduled to be administered on February 26 and 27, 1998. The MBE is Thursday, February 26 and the Essay is Friday, February 27. All interested applicants shall obtain the application form and necessary information from the Court Administrator by either calling telephone nos.234-5175/76/77 or fax no. 234-5183 or by writing to P.O. Box 2165, Saipan, MP 96950.

All applications and required fees must be submitted to the Court Administrator no later than January 12, 1998. The fees

· for Regular Applicants are $250.00 for essay and $40.00 for the MBE. The fees for Attorney Applicants is $300.00 for the essay.

Dated this 9th day of December, 1997.

ls/MARGARITA M. PALACIOS Court Administrator

drivers," he said. But the government stopped

short of calling for restrictions, saying additional research is needed and noting that the wireless equipment also has benefits.

The biggest problem is lack of solid information on how many crashes involve cellular phones and other equipment, the new report said.

But a review of accident reports from several states found "trends which show that cellular telephone use is a growing factor in crashes."

"Contrary to expectations, the majority of drivers were talking on. their telephones rather than dialing at the time of the crash," the study said. "A few drivers also were startled when their cellular phones rang and, as they reached for their phones, they ran off the road."

"The overwhelming majority of cellular telephone users were in the striking vehicle," in an accident, the report added.

With cellular phone use growing rapidly, the report concluded, an increasing number of drivers will be exposed to this distraction. And previous government studies have cited driver inattention as a primary or contributing cause in up to half of all highway crashes.

Jeffrey Nelson of the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association called the study "very balanced."

"Common sense tells us that when people are in their vehicles they have an opportunity to do an increasing number of different things," he observed. Making sure they use the technology safely, he said·, is "educational opportunity that theindustrytakesvetyseriously."

The "ComeBase" phone is unveiled Wednesday by the Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp. (NIT) in Tokyo. The next-generation · public pay phone features a 40-centimeter-diameter frontal disk equipped with a liquid crystal display monitor that will tell users how to operate the machine. The coin-operated phone will allow users to send e-mails written on personal digital assistants (foreground) or notebook personal computers. NIT plans to set up the ComBase phones across the nation, starting this fall. AP

IMF ... Continued from page 2 ·

organization misjudged the Asian crisis, is floundering in efforts to stop it and makes ma\(ers worse with its rhetoric and draconian economic

measures. They maintain taxpayer money

should not be used to bail out mistakes by big businesses, protecting them against market risks while causing unemployment, higher taxes and other economic hardships for citizens in the countries that receive rescue packages.

Congratulations,! on Your . . . . .

The IMF's credibility is on the line not only in Asia. If it has time, the board also is supposed to take up renewing a suspended credirlinc for Russia, where experts have raised doubtsaboutPresidentBoris Yeltsin 's abilitytocarryouteconomicrefrnms, including tax collection.

From the Management & Staff of'.

YEAR ANNIVERSARY

YOUNIS ART STUDIO, INC. Publisher of

.· "'5;\8',{arianas %rietr ~~ Mierone~ia's Leading Newspaper Sirice 1!}72 ..

. lnanotherindicationof closerscrntiny of the IMF, the House Banking Committee announced Wednesday that Chairman James Leach, oflowa, would lead a three-nation fact- finding uip to Asia st,uting J,m. 15 to cxarninc the fund's role in fighting financial market crises. - -

DavidRunkle,acommittcespokesm,m, said meml;ers accompanying Leach have not been detennined.

The group will visit Hong Kong, Beijing, Seoul and Tokyo -through Jari. 26.

Leach has tentatively scheduled a Jan. 29 hearing on the lMF's capital needs after it agrees! to pay out$ 32 billion of the$ I 00 billion-plus bailout programs for the three Asian nations.

His committee autho1izes U.S. spending for the IMF.

The Clintonadministration believes a$90billion increase in IMFi-eserves that was endorsed by IMF meml'ers earlier this year, along with the creation of an emergency bailout fund, will l;e sufficient to deal with the Asian financial crises.

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Froilan ... Continued from page 1

budgetestimatefrom$262 million to $252 million, it is still higher than the FY 1997 budget

Revenues, he said, are siill going up and the govennnent will continue to rnn a small surplus.

Damn good job ''Wedidadarnngood jobforwhich

we gained recognition from the Bank ofHawaiiandmeml'ersofCongress," Tenorio said.

In addition, the CNMigovemment has millionsof"receivables," including the controversial $3.4 million loaned to the Tinian casino gaming

· commission, he said. '1lim's the beauty of the loan," he

said.' '1liat money will l;e re tu med to the govemment, which would not l;e the case if we just approp1iated funds forthem."

Through conservative estimates and fiscal prndence, according to his St;1lc of the Commonwealth address submitted to the Legislature yesterday, the adminisn·ation mn opernting su1pluses m1d 1educed the accumulated deficit.

··1 still say that we 're going out not because we did a lousy job but l;ecausc the voll:rs like (incoming Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio) better," he ;aid.

··we (failed to get reelected) t;e. cause of bad PR, not bad mm1~1gemen I of this government," the CNMI's most outspoken politicimi said.

Ru111orsofc:L,h !low problems ,md lx1uncing government checks. he added, ,U'C lxing circulated to give the new adminisu·ation a "n:ady made" cxrn~ for :u1y pmblcms they may

CPA ... Continued from page 1

fault on its p,1y111cnt obligations. ··tkc,1use CPA is tht: contract

ing party lo the project. it is solely rcsponsiblt: to the project contractor for progn:ss payments as they become Jue:· Camacho expl,1ined.

Camacho also said the lack of full funding for the project was ·-seriously impacting 011 CPA 's present financial condition ...

Manglona. Continued from page 1

It is the Credentials Committee that decides on the eligibility of the senators.

Cing also chairs a Senate committee looking into the "misspending" of public funds allegedly committed by members of the Tinian casino gaming commission, with the a.ppaient consent of lhe outgoing administration and Mmiglona as Tinian mayor.

Cing, at the same time, said he h,L,n 't l;een infrnmcd yet why the FBI recently conducted a mid of M,mglona 's office.

Anolhcr ranking meml;er of the Senate leadership, 1equesting anonymity, yesterday said the Senate should respect the Tinirni people's decision to have M,mglona 1eprescnl them in the Senate.

"Any move to unseat him would be tightfully conside1ed and condemned as a political ploy of avengeful majority," tl1e source said.

111ough a Rcpubiicm1, M,mglona supported the gubematod,J ticket of

create. "Before we came into office in

· 1994, there were reports of pay less Fridays, but that's not the case now, and they'1e only saying we're running out of money !;ecause they don't want to raise the hopes of their supporters who are, by now, asking for govemmentjobs," Tenorio said.

What bounced checks? Asked to explain the four gov

ernment checks made out to the Retirement Fund that recently bounced, Tenorio said it was caused by an "administrative lapse," and not l;ecause the government has no money.

"What happened was that the govemment'sTCDs(timecertificate deposit) weren't released on time because the treasurer was being moved up as acting Finance sec1etruy ," he said.

Tenorio,atthesametime,admitted that it was his administration's decision to increase the excise taxes in 1994 that led to an increase in 1evenues.

But, he added, "We were the ones who inhe1ited a banktupt government, so what should we have done instead? File lotsof govemmentworkers? No. We inc1eased the excise taxes but with sunset provisions, and we collected the money."

Problems ahead But whether the government stays

in good shape depends on the how well the new administration handles its finmices, federal policy, toUiism, ar11011g othenelated factors, Tenorio said.

··When I w:L, e;u·licr talkin~ about the gove111me111 facing fin,mci:11 problems. I was relcll'in~ to the way the Lcgislatrn'C h,L,been p,L,singbill~tlmt would only reduce revenue rnllections while at the smne time incre,1-e government spending:· he said.

I k pn:dictcd that the new administration will soon be in unuble.

"Ilic revenues will no longer be there, ,uid the Asimi cuncncy crisis will just make things worse," he said, rdc1Ting to tl1c 1cstilting d1np in the 11u111 lxrof touiists ,md investorscomint- in.

.. 'Ilic new ~ovcmor will inhc1it a linanciallv so~nd >!Ovemmcnt, but he has to cut cost ," l;e said.

"And I hope he changes his style. ·n1ings ,u-e very different comp,u-ed ·

the Democratic Pmy and r:m for the Senate withm1other Republican, Rep. Joaquin G. Adriano, undcrthe Tinian Unity-Democrat slate.

Among the nine senators, the Manglona mid Ad1im10 are consid- . ered the minority members with Mm1glona ,L, the designated Senate min mi ty leader.

Fit,t elected as Tini,m mayor in 1981, Manglona did not seek reelection but sought and won a Senate seat in 1985.

In I 989, Manglona passed up· a chance for a second term as senator, but won as Republican mayoral candidate in !993.

He originally intended to seek a third te1111 as mayor in the last general elections, but after Cing broke away . from the Unity coalition inmid-1997, Manglona rnmounced that he will be mnning for the Senate instead.

He ,md the other Unity-Democrat cmididatcs, including the Democmtic Pmty's gul;ernatorial ticket, won on Tinian.

Since tl1c Senate l;egrni its prol;e of the Tinimi casino, gaming commission last yern·;.M,mglona In, refused to l;e inte1viewed.


to 1982-90 (during the incoming governor's first two terms), and he justcan'tsitb!\ckandleteveryonerun the government.

"'There should be a strong executive leadership," he said.

The only advise he can give to the new governor, Tenorio said, is "to learn how to muscle the Legislature."

"If he doesn't control them, they'll kill the economy," hesa:id.

Honor, privilege In his 21-page address, Tenorio

said it has been a privilege and an

honor to serve the people as senator (1980-84), resident representative (l 984-90) and as the CNMI's fourth governor ( 1994-98) and "I would not have missed · it for the world."

Saying that it is an important day for the CNMI, Tenorio recently declared Monday, Jan. 12, a special holiday, and urged the public to join the day-long inaugural events.

But Tenorio said he will be offisland on the day his successor is to be sworn into office.

"It's their day," he said, "so I shouldn't be there."

A civil engineer, Tenorio said he will soon set up his own construction bonding business.

He denies seeking a job at the Tinian Dyna,ty Hotel & Cw;ino, but added that he will be moving to Tinian, his''reliable''political bailiwick.once his house there ha, l;een built.

"I'll l;e spending more time with my children and grandchildren, with

. my books and with golf," he said. "I can't wait for Monday to

arrive."

JOB ANNOUNCEMENT . STA

Northern Marianas Protection & Advocacy Systems, Inc. (NMPASI) seeks a full-time staff attorney. Position will be located on Saipan. .

Responsibilities: Individuals & System Advocacy in a variety of forums on behalf of people with disabilities. . .

Qual.ifications: Individual must posses a law degree from an ABA accredited law school. Admitted t~ the CNMI Bar or.willing to ta~e next available examination. At least 2 years legal experience and be admitted to practice before all federal courts whose jurisdictions enco~pass the CN~I. ~ersonal or professional skills in disability laws, Demonstrated commitment to public interest law, excellent written .and oral skills NMPASI is an Affirmative Action Employer .. · - · · ·, ._

Salary: $35,000 plus benefits

Fo~ard resume and a w~iting ?~mple (such as an appellate brief, brief in support of a mot10~ or ot~er substantial writing that reflects the applicants writing skills and legal analytical skills no later than January 09, 1998 to:

LYDIA FUJIHIRA BARClNAS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR P.O. Box 3529

Saipan, MP 96950 Fax: (670) 235-7275

Voice: (670) 235-7273 email: lbarcinasp&a(@)saipan.com

invites you all for

liglfig llllow · Jan. 9. 10 & 11

FREE -food or chaser -to e"eryone st-airt-ing at- 8:00 prn t-o 2:00 am

?- ~ea<dtf Zae.t. "i'ctt..it & PM-. ~ 5t.a,r, film: ABANDONADA • MGA Bl RHEN NG ERMITA , THE WOOD CUTIERS DAUGHTER

~ ",: ~ r/Ma.do. & ,rl,r.,ca

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56-MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VIEWS-FRIDAY- JANUARY 9. 1998

. ~cf.ft,farianas %rietr~ I DEADLINE: 12:00-noon the day prior to publication

NOTE: If some reason your advertisement is incorrect. call us immediately to make the necessary corrections. Tne Marianas Variety News and Views is responsible only for one incorrect insertion. We reserve the right to edit. refuse. reject or cancel any ad at any time. ·c1.assified Ad.s S_eCtion . ·

Job Vacancy Announcement

01.SEAMSTRESS-Salary:S3.05 per hour Contact: NIEVLA C. CABRERA dba Nievla's Dress Shop Tel. 235-6443(1/ 16)F25126

01 MANAGING DIRECTOR-Salary:S1 ,000.00 per month Contact: DELTA TRADING CO., LTD. Tel. 235-8500(1/16)F25127

01 COOK-Salary:S800.00 per month Contact: ALTO SAIPAN INTERNATIONAL CORP. Tel. 233-1329(1/ 16)F70069

01 COSMETICIAN-Salary:S3.05 per hour Contact: AMERICAN HUILING CORP. dba Yellow House Saipan Tel. 235-9188(1/16)F25128

01 HEAD(PHOTOGRAPHER)-Salary:SS.50 per hour Contact: LIGHTNING DEV. LTD. dba Flame Tree Flash Fata Tel. 234'.7353(1/ 16)F70068

02 LAUNDRY WORKER-Salary:S3.05-4.17 per hour Contact: PACIFIC MICRONESIA CORPORATION dba Dai-lchi Hotel Tel. 234-6412_(1 /16)F70064

01 BUTCHER-Salary:S3.05 per hour 01 INTERNAL (AUDITOR)-Salary:S 1,000.00 per month 02 MERCHANDISE DISTRIBUTORSalary:S3.05 per hour Contact: TRI-ALL INT'L. CORP. Tel. 234-1603(1/16JF25131 ~---· --~----- ------

01 BUILDING REPAIR/MAINTENANCE-Salary:S3.05 per hour Comact: CREDENCE INCORPOR~ TION dba Credence Sari-Sari Store Tel. 233-6046(1/16)F25132

06 WAITRESS CLU8-Salary:S3.05 per hour 04 WAITRESS (RESTAURANT)-Salary:S3.05 per hour 02 BEAUTICIAN-Salary:S3.05 per hour Contacl: JOSE T. TAROPE dba Chemiboy Enterprises Tel. 322-4919(1/ 16)F25133

----------

02 MASON-Salary:S3.05-3.20 per hour 01 CARPENTER-Salary:$3.05-3.20 per hour 02 ELECTRICIAN-Salary:S3.05-3.20 per hour Contact: ROLANDO G. BJGALBAL dba RB Electrical & Construction Tel. 234-9855( 1/16) F251 34

02 DRESSMAKER-Salary:$3.15-3.25 per hour ·contact: ROLANDO G. BIGALBAL dba Arbees Enlerprises Dress Shop, Wardrobe Consultant Tel. 234-9855(1/ 16)F25135

01 ADMINISTRATIVE ASSJSTANT-Salary:S3.05 per hour Contact: JESSICA P. CAMACHO dba Pacific Pearl En1erprises Tel. 235-7327 F24979

01 F & B MANAGER-Salary:S2,400.00 per monlh 03 COOK-Salary:$4.00 per hour 08 WAITRESS-Salary:$4.00 per hour Conlact: BACK IN TIME, INC. dba Back in Time Tel. 323-1023(1/23)F25171

01 MARKETING MANAGER-Salary:S3,000.00 per month Contact: VILLIA M. HOCOG dba V's Corporation Tel. 532-5966( 1/23)F25176

01 AUTO BODY PAINTER-Salary:S3.05

50 GARMENT FACTORY WORKERSalary:S3.05-4.00 per hour 05 QUALITY CONTROL CHECKERSalary:$3.05-4.00 per hour 01 QUALITY CONTROL SUPERVISOR-Salary:S3.05-6.50 per hour 01 PRODUCTION ASSISTANT MANAGER-Salary:$3.05-7.50 per hour 05 (CUTTER) CUTTING MACHINE OP ERATOR-Salary:$3.05-8.00 per hour 02 ELECTRICIAN-Salary:$3.05-4.00 per hour 02 COOK-Salary:S3.05-8.50 per hour 62 SEWING MACHINE OPERATORSalary:S3.05-4.00 per hour 03 IRONING PRESSER (MACHINE)Salary:$3.05-3.50 per hour Contact: PANG JIN SANG SA CORPORATION Tel. 234-7951 (1/23)F70189

01 WAITRESS (REST.)-Salary:S3.05 per hour Contact: THE SAMURAI CORPORATION dba Hyaku-Ban Rest., Souther Cross Trap. Rest. Tel. 234-3374(1/ 23)F25173

01 HOUSEKEEPING CLEANER-Salary:S3.05 per hour Contact: DIAMOND HOTEL CO., LTD. dba Saipan Diamond Hotel Tel. 234-5900(1/23)F70195

01 INSURANCE (ACCOUNTANT)-Salary:S1 ,000.00 per month Contact: OCEANIA INSURANCE CORPORATION dba Oceania Ins. Corp. Tel. 234-8321(1/23)F25172.

05 COMMERCIAL CLEANER-Salary:S3.05-3.40 per hour Contact: SUSANA T. MAFNAS dba One Call Service Tel. 235-5121 (1/23)F25167

01 STORE SUPERVJSOR-Salary:$3.05 per hour Contact: SHAKIRS (CNMI) INC., dba Bali Fashions Tel. 233-1-190(1/ 23)F25166

01 SALES REPRESENTATIVE-Salary:S3.80 per hour Contact: DIAMOND KO PACIFIC CO., LTD. dba Diamond Ko (Spn), Lid. Tel. 235-6885 ( 1 /23) F25 1 68

01 ACCOUNTANT-Salary:S3.05-4.50 per hour Contact: HOTEL NIKKO SAIPAN Tel. 322-3311 (1/23)F70177

03 KITCHEN HELPER-Salary:3.05 per hour 01 REST. WAITRESS-Salary:S3.05 per hour 01 FAST FOOD WORKER-Salary:S3.05 per hour Contact: D'ELEGANCE ENT., INC. Tel. 234-1188/9 25056

BODY · FEND~R MAN (1)

AUTO · BODY PAINHR (1) AUTO · M~CHANiC (1) Salary open - Depends on experience.

For interview call: Cora at Tel. 233-3973

Single While Male_ 28, College

Educated seeks inlelligent, sweet

Filipina Lady 18-30 yrs. old., for

friendship and romance.'

If you are interested please send letter

to Fred, 790 North Marine Drive #332 Tumon, Guam 9691 I Please include picture and phone#.

FOR SALE 1993 Mazda Miata Black

Hard Top, Leather Se~ts many extras.

PACIFIC ISLAND AVIATION • .INC. "Sf!/W.in<; tk M~ wwe I 988"

FREECARf /YM, NORTHWEST Q Air/ink

• Based on double occupany • Some restrictions apply

Fly PIA to Rota For more information, l>lcase call

234-360 I Saipan or 647-3600 Guam 5.'2-0397 Pacific International Travel

Service Rota

PACIFIC ISLAND AVIATION, INC. ''Sf!/W.in<; tk Ma/Ua.n<:i.d wwe 1988"

FREE HOTEL ROOM? /YM, NORTHWEST Q Airlink

• Based on double occupany • Some restrictions apply

Fly PIA to Rota For more in formation, please call

234-360 I Saipan or 647-3600 Guam 532-0397 Pacific International Travel

Service Rota

HOUSE CLEANING MAID WANTED Looking tor a HOUSE CLEANING MAID, Female age around 35 Salary over $3.05 per hour depend on experience. Plus over-time. Must be available immediately. . Free housing and food, prefer with driving license or willing to learn.

PLEASE WRITE YOUR NAME AND CONTACT PHONE NUMBER TO:

P.O. Box 10000, PPP 792 c/o Pacific Postal Plus (Next to Poon's Restaurant) Saipan, MP 96950

ALLINFORMATIONS WILL BE GIVEN IN CONFIDENCE.

Quiet Two (2) Bedrooms • Swimming Pool Tennis Court

I KAf!!~!n!!!,!?~NS 235-5686 (8:30 AM to 5:30 PM, Weekdays) 235-5849 (6:00 PM to 9:00 PM, Everyday)

STOLEN PASSPORT The Passport of MS. MU MEI was stolen last month and never found. This Passport is not valid anymore . Declared null and void. Passport# 142795815

3 BEDROOM CONCRETE HOUSE, Semi Furnished, 1 Car Garage

Located in San Vicente Available January 15, 1998

Please call 234-7490 for more information

Dan-Dan: 4 Units, 2 Bedrooms, 1 Bath each unit Appraised for $231,000, Priced for Quick Sale at $130,000 Call: 433-0579/0563 day; 433-3013 night or fax offer to 433-0710

apartment for rent 2 bedroom apartment

$600.00/month Semi-Furnished

Located: Guafo Rai, Saipan HIGff.'IAY MART

c:::J

L'TNSON

D

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLS. CAI.I.: W 'll' 234-533-1 11 1l" 288~3232

HOUSE FOR RENT Concrete, 2 Bedroom, 2 Bathroom

24hrs water, near Airport Tel. 288-1209

Mon.-Fri. 6pm to 9pm Salu1day-8am to 9pm

And since a 12-ycar stucJ)' sl101vs

!hat being 40% or rn8rc ovcr\',1C'1u!11 puls you at l11gh rrsk. · it makes sense lo follow these guidelines for healthy liv,n(] 1 Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables rich in vitamins A and C-oranges, cantaloupe, strawberries, peaches, apricots, broccoli, cauliflower, brusseJ sprouts, cabbage. Eat a highfiber, low-fat diet tha1 includes whole-grain breads and cereals such as oatmeal, bran and wheal Eat lean meats, fish, skinned poultry and low-fat dairy products. Drink alcoholic beverages only in moderation. For more inlormalion, call 1-800-ACS-2345.

IAMERl~i}/CANCER f SOCIETY®

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FRIDAY, JANUARY 9. 1998 -MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND v·1Ews-57

EEK & MEEK® by Howie Schneider

-- rj~------" PEANUTS® by Charles M. Schulz

HELLO? Tl-115 IS ''RERUN.'.' 01-l, 1-11. GRAMMA 1-lOW ARE YOU ?

SlFl.l.:\ \\ ll!lJJ{

t IM FINE. THANK \/OU_, KINDERGARTEN ?

YOUR BIRTHDAY By Stella Wilder 13orn today, you have a tre

mendous memory, and the

abi I ity to use what you remem

ber from the past to serve you

in a profitable and profes

sional fashion throughout your

lifetime. It is almost as if you

are able to relive past events

and improve upon them each

lime! Though you will likely

enjoy a quiet and private

youth, once you begin forging

a path in the professional world you will not be able to

avoid being noticed by the

powers that be - and once

you are noticed, you most cer

tainly will win their approval and endorsement.

Though you cannot be

counted on to make the right

decisions at every turn, you

are almost always willing to

take the blame for what goes

wrong as a result of faulty

judgment or mistaken notions

on your part. Now and then,

however, you may choose to

ignore the fact that you slipped

up!

Also born on this date arc: Joan Baez, Crystal Gayle, singers; Bart Starr, football player and coach; Richard Nixon, U.S. president; .Judith Krantz, author.

To sec what is in store for

you tomorrow, find your birth

day :md read the correspond

ing paragraph. Let your birth

day star be your daily guide.

SATURDAY, JAN. JO

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-.Jan. i9) - You are likely to be rewarded today for a deci

sion made yesterday, or the

day before. More respansibil i

ties should come your way.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) - It is a good day to re

veal certain facts to those who

are closest to you. The sooner

you come clean the sooner oth

ers will come to your aid.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) - You may be getting.

into something you don't un

derstand fully. Be patient, and

take the time to study all the

options available to you.

ARIES (March 21-April I 9) - You may feel as thou_gh

someone has cast a spell of.

sorts on you today. For some

reason, you' re not behaving

as others might expect.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) - You may have trouble

saying no to someone today. Perhaps you are being genu

inely sympathetic, or perhaps

you arc being manipulated.

GEMINI (May·21-Junc 20) - Avoid spending money on

luxury items today. Focus on

getting your hands on those

things that you feel are essen-tial Io your progress. ·

CANCER (June 21-July 22) - You don't want to say

or do anything today that

might be misinterpreted by

someone who feels he or she

has a special connection with

you.

'<ES, i'M DOING FINE KINDERGARTENWISE ..

'-----?,--(7J _, ·-:

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) -Be warned: what seems most

attractive to you at this time is

likely to be no picnic. Be pre

pared for more trouble than

anticipated!

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -A loved one is in a position

to allow you to do something

you've wanted to do for some

time. Do not let this new free

dom go to your head.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-0cL 22) - You may discover today

that you get along better with

someone you've considered a rival than with someone else

you've considered a friend.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) - You may be feeling unusually sympathet:ic toward

a friend or loved one today.

Be careful you don't assume

anyone else's emotional burdens.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-_Dcc. 21) - Today, you will

be tempted to do exactly what

someone else tells you not lO

do - simply for the adven

ture of it. Use caution; think twice!

Hear about the owl with a sore throat? He couldn't give a hoot about anything.

Our minister says anyone who doesn't believe in the hereafter never had a bill collector here after the rent, here after the TV, here after the car ...

Astronomy made easy: Those black holes in space you read about are nothing more than potholes in the galaxy.

CROSSWORD PUZZLER ACROSS

1 Atrection 5 TV host

Martindale 9 Is able to

12 Wild goat 13 A Chaplin 14 Summer

drink 15 "Seinfeld,"

lor one 17 "Blackboard

Jungle" auth. 18 -Tin Tin 19 Cooled 21 Aclor Nick -23 Destinies 27 Math term 28 Fairy in "The

Tempest" 29 Roman 104 31 Pester 34 Eastwood ID 35 Father 37 Gratuity 39 Negative 40 Drag 42 Female rutf 44 - buller

46 "Dinner -Eighl"

48 Spiritually symbolic

50 Order 53 Radiate 54 Mal de-55 Vowel

sequence 57 Among 61 Sue-

Langdon 62 Mil. deserter 64 Ireland 65 - sequitur 66 Bay al lhe

moon 67 - estale

DOWN

1 l"leur-de- -2 Kimono sash 3 Horse doctor,

for short 4 Stirred up 5 Females 6 Maiden loved

by Zeus 7 Opp. of SSW 8 Madeline-

Answer to Previous Puzzle

1-9 © 1998 Uniled Feature Syndicate

a/ "Cosby" 9 Comedian

George-10 Mine

entrance 11 Hawaiian bird 16 OJ the eyes 20 Winier mo.

22 -art 23 Datum 24 Cookie with

lhe creamy center

25 Smallest St. 26 Perch 30 Prey 32 Wild DX 33 Score 36 Not a Rep. 38 "Lilies of lhe

Field" Oscar winner

41 A Beatty 43 Sight organ 45 Calloway ID 47 Tantalum

symbol 49 Undersized 50 "--and a

Woman" 51 Attorney

General Janel-

52 Slangy aflirmative

56 -Jima 58 Expire 59 Sp. woman 60 -Aviv 63 Expression ol

pain

by Dick Rogers

1 ACROSS:

")INifl ·s '13SSifl ·s 'l:JOH8Nif ·c: '31GGifS . ~ :NMOa ·1:Jv::i ·5 '3NO ·s 'Nns 'L 's>lono ·g 'lNV ·i, '11:Jv1s · ~ :ssm:1ov

-

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'.58-MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VIEWS-FRIDAY- JANUARY 9, 1998

Hollywood movie review

Willis, Gere in 'The Jackal' By Lucette Bentley · For the Variety

ARlITHLESS·assassin(Bruce Willis) has been hired by international cutthroats to.eliminate someone at the very top of the

-U.S. government.

His price: $70 million. Constantly on the move, changing his identity and location, everything about this hit man, including his sinister timetable, is a secret. He is

(Above) aware of the Jaka/'s presence but uncertain of his purpose, the FBl's Otiputy Director (SIDNEY POITIER) faces the biggest

. challenge of his career. Working with a by-the-book Russian intelligence officer (DIANE VENORA), he must find some way to track down this cols-blooded killer (Below).

known only as the Jackal.. Aware of the Jackal's presence

but uncertain of his purpose, the FBI's Deputy Director (Sidney Poitier) faces the biggest challenge of his career. Working with by-thebook Russian intelligence officer (Diane Venora), he must find some way lo track down this coldblooded killer.

Reluctant but desperate, they realize that the only way to stop the assassin is totrusta man who thinks like one.

Consequently, they enlist the aid of an imprisoned underground operative (Richard Gere) who has his own history with the Jackal. Together, tliese unlikely allies enter a global race against the clock to stop the mysterious mercenary before he can complete his deadly assignment.

Universal Pictures and Mutual Film Company presents Bruce Willis, Richard Gere and Sidney Poitier in The Jackal, an Alphaville production directed by Michael Caton-Jones. Produced by James Jacks, Sean Daniel, Michael CatonJ ones and Kevin JaITe.

A contemporary suspense thriller played out across a vast international canvas, The Jackal was filmed in authentic locations spanning from Montreal to Washington DC. Virginia, the Carolinas, Chicago. London, Helsinki and Mosco~v. 'Based on the screenplay of the 1973 film The Dayo.fthe Jackal.

Herc. an unlikely alliance fom1s between FBI Deputy Director Cuter Preston, underground operative De clan M ul4ueen and Russian officer V i1lentina Koslova, who come together as total strangers in order to track the hired assassin known only as the Jackal and end up having to rely on each other for

their very lives. · Like bloodhounds after a scent,

the threesome attempt to follow-up on the electronic clues the mysterious killer leaves - clues which lead nowhere.

With the clock ticking away as the imminent deadline approaches, they each become increasingly frustrated as they travel the world looking for a break - any break - in the case.

Complicating their efforts is the Jackal 'sever-changing appearance. An expert in the art of disguise, he transforms his facial characteristics, body type, voiceage,haircolor and very demeanor into a variety of amazing alter egos.

The Jackal' s arsenal also includes some gruesome chemical surprises for those unwary souls who venture too close. He con-

. founds his persuers at every turn, using his encyclopedic knowledge of international travel, commerce, underworld contacts and computer technology to slip easily throughout the world without leaving a trace.

Time is running out. Will the Jackal slip up and lead them to him or will he be successful in carrying out his plan?

"After watching Fred Linnemann 's 1973 film version of The Day of the Jackal a few years ago, I felt that the film's central Femise could serve as the basis for a whole new suspense thriller," said Producer James Jacks.

"One thing I felt was essential for this new film was that the characters be strongly drawn and the sto1y given added humanity. We purposely tried to create characters that people could really be invested in," explains Jacks.

For Bruce Willis, the role of the

icy and enigmatic Jackal was the latest in a series of interesting career choices. "Bruce Willis brings a whole new dimension to the role and a compelling acting style." says producer Caton-Jones.

"For me, it was a unique opportunity to see Willis not as the hero, but as a ruthless villain - an unusual tum for him."

"We've all worked lo make the charact~rs multifaceted, as original and real as we can, so you're drawn to the story on visceral levels as well as on kinetic story levels," notes Gere.

"We come to each other head to head and we are at odds through much of the film," says Poitier. "In the process, there is a spark of mutual respect which begins between the two and develops into an acceptance and trust of each for the other."

"Sidney gives such credibility to his role in The Jackal," comments Jacks. "He's a wonderful actor who adds dignity and strength to the characterof Preston."

"I see Valentina (Diane Venora) as the moral center of the film," says Jacks. "She is a dedicated Russian officer who is, perhaps, the most intriguing, as well as the bravest, of all the film's characters .. "

Vcnora did intense research for her role. "I immersed myself in Russian literature and history and I worked very closely with a speech coach with whom I developed a dialect for Valentina," says Venora.

Prime Minister turns down chance to meet Spice Girls By PETER JAMES SPIELMANN

SYDNEY, Australia (AP) -Prime Minister John Howard -unlike South African President Nelson Mandela, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Charles- finds the Spi_ce Girls utterly resistible and will not inlelTl.lpt his vacation to meet them.

It's not clear whether the snub says more about Howard's bland, 1950s style or the purporledly declining popularity of the British girl pop group - or both - but he has turned down repeated invitations to meet the Spice Girls, the Herald Sun reported Thursday.

Howard reportedly told Spice Girls management that it would be "inappropriate" and he ··wou Id not be available," the paper reported.

The Spice Girls are in Australia to promote their feature film "Spiceworld, The Movie," while Howard is.spending a break from Parliament at Hawks Nest, a . sleepy fishing town of about I, l 00 on the New South Wales coast.

The only Australian politician

who is taking time out of the annual January sabbatical, in which almost all Australians go on holiday, is Victoria state Premier Jeff Kennett.

But Kennett, who is not a particular fan of the Spice Girls, disclosed Thursday he has a particular interest in one of them -Posh Spice.

"Posh Spice's real name is actually Victoria-:· Kennett told reporters. "Andonecan't help but be impressed that such a vibrant, attractive young lady is so well nam·ed."

Kennett defended Howard's decision to stay on vacation, saying: "To break a holiday to come back to meet anyone, whether it is a pop group or a radio interview or a foreign dignitary ... ifhe breaks into his holidays, he will never get a break."

Kennett announced he will meet the Spice Girls at Melbourne's Planet Hollywood on Sunday.

He said he listened to the Spice Girls as he drove around

to appointments and was particularly impressed by their farreaching marketing campaign.

'To me they're just like anything else in th~ arts area. People come, they contribute, they often

make a difference and the length of their life very much depends on the quality of their work," he said.

The Spice Girls are shown at the MTV Video Music Awards at New York's Radio City Music Hall in this Sept. 4, 1997 photo. Australian Prime Minister John Howard reportedly passed the chance to meet the top British pop group. AP

:}

' ' , . , ,

World Chess Championship

Karpov, By Philip Waller

LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) - Viswanatlrnn Anand kept alive his hopes of winning the FIDE World Chess Championship by drawing the fifth game in !he finals Wednesday against defending champion Anatoly Karpov.

Karpov, 46, now leads by three points to two. Anand, 28, must win Thursday's sixth game if he is to force a tiebreaker contest f-riday.

Wednesday's game, the most tense so far, took nearly five hours and was watched in si le nee by a packed audience at the Olympic Museum in this lakeside city.

Karpov, dressed in a dark suit with tic, and Anand in a maroon blazer and opennccked shirt, sat opposite each other in the dark auditorium.

They wcrc !'lankcd by the 1·1ags of thcir rcspcctivc countric·s. Russia and India. as well

as t.he banners of the game's ruling bodies and the host nation.

The winner gets a $ I ,373,000 prize and $768,000 goes to the runnerup.

Karpov won Friday's opening game and Anand won Saturday's game before the players drew Sunday and rested Monday. The Russian grandmaster upped Lhe tension by winning the fourth game Tuesday.

Anand, 28, won the right to challenge Karpov, 46, for the world crown al a three-week qualifying tournament at Groningen in the Netherlands.

He beat Michael Adams of England in the semifinals.

Two of the world's top players, Vladimir Kramnik and Garry Kasparov, titleholder in the breakaway Professional Chess Association, didn't participate in the tournament.

Packers should draw the line against 49ers

By ARNIE STAPLETON

GREEN BAY, Wisconsin (AP) -The Green Bay Packers had enormous tmublc handling Warren Sapp'~ one-man show. Now. they'll face an ,~ntire wrecking crew.

The San Francisco 49ers bring pressure from the outside with defensive ends Roy Barker and Chris Doleman, but it's their inside pass rush of tackles Dana Stubblefield. and Bryant Young that presents the most trouble.

Maybe the wet, muddy track that's expected for Sunday's NFC championship will slow them down. ·

Nothing and nobody curtailed Tampa Bay's Sapp, who gave Green Bay's interior linemen fits last weekend.

S:1pp, a Pm Bowl defensive tackle, had seven unassisted tackles, three sacks, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery before the Buccaneers succumbed 21-7 to the defending Super Bowl champions.

"'Fortunately, he didn't do anything that cost us a chance at achieving our goal," Packers left guard Aaron Taylor said.

Now Brett Favre and the Packers are staring at double trouble in Stubblefield and Young on the inside and dual obstacles on the outside with Barker and Doleman.

Then, there's pass-rush specialist Kevin Greene, who comes in on third down and tallied IO 1/2 of San Francisco's 54 sacks this season.

"Well, it's a great challenge," Packers coach Mike Holmgren said. "The 49ers, they talk about Stubblefield and Young:, who ai'e great players, no question about that, but they also have Doleman and Barker. Their whole defensive line is pretty good."

The Packers' interior linemen will have their bands full Sunday, but so will tackles Ross Verba and Earl Dotson.

And that's got to be a scary thought to the Packers, who were embarrassed by Sapp's dominance Sunday.

Sapp not only spent most of the day roaming through the Packers' backfield after manhandling Taylor, center Frank Winters or right guard Adam Timmerman -and anybody else who slid over to help block him - but he also managed to get inside Favrc's head.

TI1e two had an ongoing dialogue of expletive-filled tough-guy banter throughout the game, something that agitated Holmgren, who told his swashbuckling quarterback to put a sock in it.

Favre, who was sacked just 25 times during the season, was sacked four times last week for the first time since last year's Super Bowl.

The 49ers' best hope at dethroning the champs is to rattle Favre· into putting passes up for grabs.

It starts inside at defensive tackle, which has become the league's premier pass-rushing position as defenses have adapted to shorter and quicker dropbacks.

Against Sapp, the Packers got a taste of what's in store for · Sunday.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 9, 1998 -MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VJEWS-59

and draw 5th

Challenger Viswanathan Anand of India, left, and World chess champion Anatoly Karpov of Russia concentrate during the fifth game of the World chess championship finals, in Lausanne, Switzerland Wednesday. Karpov leads the final 2.5 to 1.5. AP

Ghasias .. . Continued from page 60

by the Ghasias to score. The second set was led again by Pelisamen, with six points, to-

Bulls ... Continued from page 60

won 12 of 13 since falling to the .500 mark with a 30-point loss at Houston on Dec. 9.

Tony Battie led the Nuggets with 17 points while Bobby Jackson and l..aPhonso Ellis had 13 each.

Wizards 110, Celtics 108 At Washington, Antoine Walker

scored 49 points for Boston, but the Washington Wizards overcame the one-man show to win.

Chris Webber scored 30 points on 13-for-l 8 shooting, Calbert Cheaney added 20 points and the Wizards shot

Team ... Continued from page 60

Game Two In the second game undefeated

Pepsi SPEC won the game against the Camacho Roots, 16-2. The game was also shut-off in the sixth inning when the Camacho Roots couldn't score any more runs.

Bradly Ngcwakl was 3 for 4

New ... Continued from page 60

final practice round at the La Costa Resort and Spa, "it's going to be tough to stay al1ead of them."

Love's eyes nanuwed as he spoke of his goals for the new season. He made it clear tlrnt he is prepared to put in tl1e work to maintain a competitive edge.

"I wru1t to win more majors," Love said. 'Td like to do it all one yearthe scoring leader, the money title, playerof the year. If it means cutting into my free time, if it means less afternoon tiips to the cigar store, then I'll do it"

Woods, Els, Leonard, Phil

gether with Shawna Pelisamen, who contributed seven points.

The next game will be played on Monday, Jan. 12, at 5 p.m., between the T-8ers and the Aschoscho.

59 percent from the field to avenge last month's 97-88 loss to Boston and improve to 10-1 attheMC!Center. Washington has won three straight

Walker's scoring total was the most for Boston since Bird's 49 against Portland on March 15, 1992. The secondyear forward was 2 l-for-36 from the field, including ?-for-5 from 3-point range. He also had I 2 rebounds. With the score 110-107 and JO seconds left, Juwan Howard couldn't get the ball inbounds and called timeout The Wizards, however, were out of timeouts, and Dana Barros hit the free throw on the technical foul to make it 110-108. Boston got the ball back, but Barros then missed a 3-pointer as time expired.

with I rbi and Pitcher Noel Ignacio was also 3 for 4 with a homerun in the fourth inning and 2 rbi 's. L. Ngiraikelaau batted a 3-run homer in the third inning.

Game Three Hit & Run hit the Northwest

with a score of 21-11 in the third game. In just two innings the Hit & Run was able to score 15 runs while the Northwest was not able

Mickelson, Stewart Cink, Paul St.mkowski and Sruan Appleby are the twentysomething guys in the 30-man Mercedes field composed oflast year's tournament winners.

And if they have adopted Woods' swaggering atti rude that they can play with anyone despite theirage, a bunch of the old boys also seem to be going at tl1e game with a renewed enthusiasm that may come from wounded piide as they watched the kids dominate the 1997 season.

Greg Norn1an, Nick Faldo, Nick Price, Tom Lehman.Steve Elkington, Scott Hoch and Mark O'Mcara are among the veterans in the Mercedes field as the PGA Tour kicks off a seemingly talent-rich season with Thursday's first round.

6th . .. Continued from page eq

Entry fee for the two-day tournament is $250 payable to the Saipan Amateur Volleyball Association, or SAVA. Fees are due before the open- . ing of the games.

For details contact SAVA President Tonie Taitano at 234-6170 or Tony Rogolifoi at234-IOOJ.

*** 1998 SSA Women's Softball

League The 1998 SSA Women's Softball

League will start tentatively in midFebruary in view of the upcoming arrival of the Kintetsu Buffaloes, who will be training here starting this month.

1he SSA is accepting a minimum of eight teams to start the league. Interested teams are given only two weeks to register starting today.

For more information, contact Joe Torres at 234-6098. (P.T. Castro)

to score any runs. Game Five

After the Tanapag Waves lost most of the games since the beginning of the league they de

·feated the Warriors, 12-10. Sumang Reungel made a triple

in the first inning with an rbi and two times he m,;de 2-run homer.. Mel Aldan also made a 2-run homer in the last inning .

It is clearly the kids - led by Woods - who have brought a new intensity to the tour,justas they have brought unp1ecedente<l fan inte1est

'"Mickelson, Tiger, myself,Justin, Davis, Tommy Tolles, Furyk- it's just a ·huge number of good young golfers," Els said, p1edicting that tl1c best days are still ahead fortl1e game.

"We haven't really all perfonned well in a major at the same time yet," Els said. "'When that happens, you· JI 1eally see a boom time in golf."

Els, who tJ·avels around the world after die Mercedes, playing in Australia, Thailand, South Afuca mid Dubai before rejoining the tour in Florida, said he's worked harder thru1 ever in the off season.

'"Believe itornot, I stmted working

-

--'· -,

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(';0-MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VIEWS-FRIDAY- JANUARY 9, 1998

SPORTS New PGA Tour season starts with excitement

Professional golfer Tiger Woods gets instruction from his teacher, Butch Harmon, while preparing for the first event of the PGA season Wednesday in Carlsbad, Calif. The tour's first event, the Mercedes Championships, begins Thursday at the La Costa Resort and Country Club. AP

By RON SIRAK CARLSBAD, California AP) - The impact of Tiger Woods on the PGA Tour was clearly felt on the eve of the season-opening Mercedes Championships.

The competitive challenge he's thrown done has been accepted, PGA Championship winner Davis Love III said his early seasonfonn

is ahead of schedule. British Open champion Justin Leonard has been worl<lng on a coup!~

of swing keys. And even Ernie Els, the U.S. Open titleholder who seems to ease

through life with the minimum of exertion, is working out in an exercise program.

Perhaps it's because there is barely an off season anymore, perhaps it's because there is now so much money at stake on the tour, or perhaps it's because Woods raised the competitive bar so high in 1997, but more people seem more ready to play this early in the year than ever before.

'Thegroupofyoungguyscomingup,"LovesaidWednesdayafterhis

Continued on page 59 · .. ' ,,. : : ~ . ' ' .. ":,,,J: . '···· l!!i

Ghasias Girls outspike GCA Eagles in two sets

By Priscilla T. Castro Variety News Staff

GHASIAS Girls defeated the GCA Eagles in just two sets during their game Wednesday nightattheGilbertC. Ada Gymnasium in the ongoing 1997-98 Girls Youth Vol_leybal League.

The first set ended with a SC:Ore of 15-12, anchored on the gutsy play of Maryann Pelisamen , undoubtedly the top player of the evening.

In the second set, the Eagles were not even given any chance


6th Annual Jam Attack THE SAIP AN Amateur Volleyball Association will hold its 6th Annual Jam Attack tournament on Jan. 17 and 18 at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium in Susupe.

The event is an open tournament for both men and women, limited to

six teams in each division. So far, three teams from Guam

have confirmed their participation, said the organizers who are encouraging teams from Rota and Tmian to join this annual slamfest


~aria_nas ~riet.r;.• Micronesia s leading Newspaper Sin<::e 1972 ·, .. , ~

P. 0. Box 231 Saipan. MP 96950 • Tel. (670) 23'1-63'1 l • 7578 • 9797 Fax: (670) 23'1-9271

'98 SSA Men's Night League

Teain Budweiser wins over 1\1rtles

By Priscilla.T. Castro Variety News Staff

TEAM Budweiser showed the Turtles it can· beat them after a very exciting game at the Susupe Softball Complex.

Team Budweiser ran in IO runs at the top of the first inning.

In'the fourth inning the Turtles were trailing by just one run, when in the top of the fifth inning Team Budweiser scored 5 runs making the score 15-9.

At the bottom of the fifth in-

ning, both teams were tied at 15 apiece. Then the Budweiser scored 3 more runs in the top of the sixth inning and the Budweiser ·gave the Turtles a hard time to score any runs which they were trailing by 3 runs.

. Turtles pitcher Donald Pangelinan was ejected from the game in the top of the seventh inning when the homeplate umpire Larry Tenorio called runner Vic Dukor running in from third base.

When Larry called it safe, the pitcher cussed at the umpire.

In the seventh inning Budweiser scored two more runs, making the score 20-15.

Game One Game one was shut-off when I

Luv U Man defeated Team Familia, 15-2 ..

Jerome Attao had perfect 3 for 3 with 2 doubles, while Lee Camacho made a 3-run homer in the fourth inning.


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N ationaJYTeaill. beats Hi-Five .. 93~68 . . ·. . . . .. ·,. . . . .' ·. ·.. .... .. . . ' By Priscilla T. Castro'. · ., . canied the team ~gt) cootnblting · with him also contnouting 14 points VarietyN_~ Staff .. ; ·• .. Ji pc>ints. · · ' · to asmst his team in winning .the

UNDEFFATED.CmU National . Thetop.soorersJmHi-fiyewere secoiidgariie. . ... ·,. . .... · teamagaindefeatedHi~~~?:1-68, · Roy Malagolai ~Iii 18 .poini; ~ . : l..ebwel's. top. score(',1'1!!5':~yan. · .. · W~ night ai the Ciiibert C. Atalig,;yith I3aiid~Masga.wiih ·d. Camacho, witij}9poillts.: '.Jlle:~ri ,

. AdaG~~· · .. .. . 9.... . :- .-:,~ ::- ,::-. ~· :,,, ·,·,.:· · two scorers·were Rmnec{J .-- .. f.:

i•4t~ii~~l~i:~/;,r~;==~··.·.··• .• ::N.~ .. ~.1t.~··. 1:,wlto oontn'bilted:l64J<)ints·:c~a&:,:;: JakeBenavemewasthe"' • .··· ... · · : CoachSoim Fl · \villbe ·· · ..

~.aifj:;i.,1/~iiltl Bulls lose to Heat by 27 points MIAMI (AP) - Tim Hardaway

had 17 points and 13 assists as the Miami Heat beat the Chicago Bulls

99-72 Wednesday night Chicago eliminated Miami in the ·

playoffs the past two seasons, but this

Miam/ Hea('.s Alonzo Mourning, left, exchanges words with Chicago Bulls Dennis Rodman after Rodman was called for a technical foul during the second quarter in Miami Wednesday. The Heat defeated the Bulls 99-72. AP

time the Heat dominated thematchup of division leaders.

It was Miami's biggest winning margin and Chicago's most lopsided loss this season.

Michael Jordan scored 26. points forChicago. His3-point, buzzer-beating shot gave the Bulls a 28-20 lead afteroneperiod, but Miami outscored Chicago 32-13 in the second quarter and 28-13 in the third.

The win was only Miami's fifth in 18 games againstChicago since Pat Riley became Heat coach.

Bulls coach Phil Jackson .was ejected with four seconds left in the first half after he became m1gry about a technical foul called on Dennis Rodman.

Spurs 96, Nuggets 89 At San Antonio, the Denver Nug

gets set a tearnrecord with their 15th straightlossasDavidRobinsonscored

. 22· points to lead the San Antonio Spurs. · Denver, with the NBA's worst

record at 2-30, led 50-48 at halftime. But the Nuggets failed to hold a halftime lead for the ninth straight time and dropped to 0-18 on the road. · The Spurs won their fifth straight

game, helped by Tim Duncan's 20 points and nine rebounds. They have


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