Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands Gov. David M. Apatang has appointed former Sen. Paul A. Manglona to fill the Rota senate seat left vacant by former Senate President Dennis Mendiola.
The vacancy arose after the death of Gov. Arnold I. Palacios on July 23.
Apatang, then lieutenant governor, assumed the governorship, while Dennis Mendiola became the new lieutenant governor, leaving the Rota seat open.
Apatang made the appointment last week, citing the certified results of the 2024 election.
In a letter to the CNMI Senate, he referenced Section 9, Article II of the NMI Constitution, which requires the governor to appoint the unsuccessful candidate from the most recent election who received the highest number of votes and is willing to serve.
“I am appointing Paul A. Manglona to fill the vacancy in the First Senatorial District based on the certified results of the 2024 election, as confirmed by the CNMI Office of the Attorney General,” Apatang stated.
Manglona, a veteran lawmaker, first served as Rota senator from 1987 to 2013. He was also appointed to fill Senate vacancies in 2013 and 2016.
