Candidate endorsed by Fil-Ams in CNMI leads US delegate race
SUSUPE, Saipan – A US Congress delegate candidate endorsed by a group comprised mainly of Filipino-Americans and Filipino parents of US citizens in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) topped the historic Nov. 4 local election that coincided with the US presidential race.
Based on partial and unofficial results of the CNMI election, Gregorio “Kilili" C. Sablan got 2,279 or 25 percent of the 9,289 votes cast.
Sablan, 53, is married to Andrea Sablan, who is from Tarlac province in northern Philippines. He ran as an Independent candidate.
The Coalition for Recognition, Equality and Advancement of American Ethnic Minorities, or Cream, endorsed Sablan’s candidacy in October.
Cream, which claims to have over a thousand members and supporters who are registered to vote in the CNMI, endorsed Sablan mainly because of his focus on improving the local economy and continuous dialogues with Washington, D.C. about immigration issues in the CNMI.
“I am very humbled by the result of the election, much more so with the experience in the campaign during the last four months … It’s hard not to be transformed by the conversations I had with so many people, sharing their joys and pain," Sablan told GMANews.TV on Wednesday afternoon.
Sablan, a former executive director of the Commonwealth Election Commission, was also the only one of four invited delegate candidates to show up at a forum organized by the group of mainly Filipino-Americans and relatives of US citizens in the CNMI. Many of Cream's members are also parents of US military members stationed in various parts of the world.
This is the first time that the CNMI elected its first nonvoting delegate to the US House of Representatives since it became a commonwealth of the United States.
The election of a nonvoting delegate to the US Congress was a result of a law signed by President George W. Bush early this year that puts CNMI immigration under federal control as early as June 2009.
The elected delegate has an annual income of $169,300 just like other members of the US Congress. The delegate is expected to advance CNMI interests in Washington, DC.
“We are happy with the results of the election," Cream adviser Daniel Buniag told GMANews.TV on Wednesday morning.
Sablan said Cream was among the last groups to endorse his candidacy.
“I am grateful to Cream for their help. I know that they worked hard to get votes for me," he added.
Buniag, of Angeles, Pampanga, believes the Filipino-American or ethnic minority voting bloc “made a difference" in the result of the CNMI’s historic election. He estimated that 500 to 700 votes were from Cream members and supporters.
During a forum snubbed by three other invited delegate candidates, Sablan told Cream that a healthy economy will benefit not only local CNMI residents but thousands of foreign workers as well.
The CNMI is home to some 10,000 Filipinos and Filipino-Americans. Its capital island of Saipan is about three hours away from Manila by plane.
Although some 655 absentee ballots will still be counted on Nov. 18, Buniag said Cream believes it is impossible for the ranking to change based on previous voting trends in the CNMI.
There were nine candidates for the nonvoting delegate to the US House of Representatives. The top four vote getters were the same ones who ranked high in a Sept. 13 mock election conducted by Cream within the coalition.
“The group was able to forecast the top four candidates – Gonzales, Sablan, Pete A. and Lizama. Based on (partial, unofficial tally of CNMI Election Commission), the top four are Sablan, Pete A., Gonzales and Lizama," said Buniag. He said Sablan didn’t make promises that are impossible to fulfill. “He gave us realistic answers to our questions," he added.
Based on the CNMI Election Commission’s partial, unofficial tally, the top four candidates are: Gregorio “Kilili" Sablan with 2,279 votes; CNMI Resident Representative to Washington, DC Pete A. Tenorio with 1,919 votes; Talk show host John Oliver D. Gonzales with 1,740 votes; and former CNMI Superior Court Judge Juan T. Lizama with 1,611 votes.
Gonzales is a son of a Filipino immigrant to the CNMI decades ago. - GMANews.TV*
Based on partial and unofficial results of the CNMI election, Gregorio “Kilili" C. Sablan got 2,279 or 25 percent of the 9,289 votes cast.
Sablan, 53, is married to Andrea Sablan, who is from Tarlac province in northern Philippines. He ran as an Independent candidate.
The Coalition for Recognition, Equality and Advancement of American Ethnic Minorities, or Cream, endorsed Sablan’s candidacy in October.
Cream, which claims to have over a thousand members and supporters who are registered to vote in the CNMI, endorsed Sablan mainly because of his focus on improving the local economy and continuous dialogues with Washington, D.C. about immigration issues in the CNMI.
“I am very humbled by the result of the election, much more so with the experience in the campaign during the last four months … It’s hard not to be transformed by the conversations I had with so many people, sharing their joys and pain," Sablan told GMANews.TV on Wednesday afternoon.
Sablan, a former executive director of the Commonwealth Election Commission, was also the only one of four invited delegate candidates to show up at a forum organized by the group of mainly Filipino-Americans and relatives of US citizens in the CNMI. Many of Cream's members are also parents of US military members stationed in various parts of the world.
This is the first time that the CNMI elected its first nonvoting delegate to the US House of Representatives since it became a commonwealth of the United States.
The election of a nonvoting delegate to the US Congress was a result of a law signed by President George W. Bush early this year that puts CNMI immigration under federal control as early as June 2009.
The elected delegate has an annual income of $169,300 just like other members of the US Congress. The delegate is expected to advance CNMI interests in Washington, DC.
“We are happy with the results of the election," Cream adviser Daniel Buniag told GMANews.TV on Wednesday morning.
Sablan said Cream was among the last groups to endorse his candidacy.
“I am grateful to Cream for their help. I know that they worked hard to get votes for me," he added.
Buniag, of Angeles, Pampanga, believes the Filipino-American or ethnic minority voting bloc “made a difference" in the result of the CNMI’s historic election. He estimated that 500 to 700 votes were from Cream members and supporters.
During a forum snubbed by three other invited delegate candidates, Sablan told Cream that a healthy economy will benefit not only local CNMI residents but thousands of foreign workers as well.
The CNMI is home to some 10,000 Filipinos and Filipino-Americans. Its capital island of Saipan is about three hours away from Manila by plane.
Although some 655 absentee ballots will still be counted on Nov. 18, Buniag said Cream believes it is impossible for the ranking to change based on previous voting trends in the CNMI.
There were nine candidates for the nonvoting delegate to the US House of Representatives. The top four vote getters were the same ones who ranked high in a Sept. 13 mock election conducted by Cream within the coalition.
“The group was able to forecast the top four candidates – Gonzales, Sablan, Pete A. and Lizama. Based on (partial, unofficial tally of CNMI Election Commission), the top four are Sablan, Pete A., Gonzales and Lizama," said Buniag. He said Sablan didn’t make promises that are impossible to fulfill. “He gave us realistic answers to our questions," he added.
Based on the CNMI Election Commission’s partial, unofficial tally, the top four candidates are: Gregorio “Kilili" Sablan with 2,279 votes; CNMI Resident Representative to Washington, DC Pete A. Tenorio with 1,919 votes; Talk show host John Oliver D. Gonzales with 1,740 votes; and former CNMI Superior Court Judge Juan T. Lizama with 1,611 votes.
Gonzales is a son of a Filipino immigrant to the CNMI decades ago. - GMANews.TV*
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