Saipan — Governor David Mundo Apatang said Friday he was “very, very much surprised” and “very, very disappointed” by the firings of former Department of Public Safety Commissioner Anthony Macaranas and Grants Management Director Epiphanio “Epi” Cabrera, and said he will try to find a constitutional way to return both men to their positions after Acting Governor Dennis C. Mendiola publicly defended the removals earlier in the week.
Apatang’s comments came shortly after his return to Saipan, following several days of public scrutiny over the back-to-back firings that took place while he was off island and Mendiola was serving as acting governor.
In an interview with NMI News Service on Thursday, Mendiola said the decisions were driven by complaints, unresolved issues, and leadership concerns. He said the concerns had been building over time, that cabinet officials serve at the pleasure of the governor, and that he believed action was necessary while he was temporarily exercising the authority of the office.
Mendiola also said he did not consult Apatang before making the moves and acknowledged that the governor would likely be unhappy when he returned. He said Apatang had previously believed the problems could be addressed without removing the officials, while Mendiola said he did not share that view.
On Friday, Apatang made clear that he disagreed with the firings.
“I trusted the Commissioner of DPS. That’s why we nominated him to be in that position,” Apatang said, adding that Macaranas had spent most of his career in law enforcement and that DPS is already dealing with manpower shortages as officers continue leaving for federal jobs.
Apatang also said he was concerned about the use of DPS officers for personal security assignments and the overtime costs tied to those details. He said one of the officers assigned in that role will be sent back to DPS and said the government cannot afford to keep paying high overtime costs for officers who are “not even working.”
He then said he intends to look for a lawful way to restore Macaranas.
“And yes, I will try and find a way constitutionally within my authority to reinstate Commissioner Macaranas back to DPS where he’s supposed to be, where he belongs,” Apatang said.
On Cabrera, Apatang said the longtime grants official has been with the office since its creation, called him a hard worker, and said he has brought significant grant funding into the Commonwealth. He said he did not understand why Cabrera was removed and again suggested there may have been another motive behind the decision.
Apatang also said he had previously instructed Cabrera not to entertain requests without his approval, saying government funds must be conserved and protected. He said he planned to check whether he could reinstate Cabrera to his former post as early as Friday.
The governor also said that under the CNMI Constitution, the lieutenant governor automatically serves as acting governor when he is off island. But he said future trips will include written instructions limiting that authority.
“As long as there’s a lieutenant governor, it’s gonna be the acting based on the Constitution,” Apatang said. “But next time I leave I’m gonna put a specific instruction that you cannot fire, you cannot hire, you cannot travel.”
Mendiola, for his part, said this week that he was not trying to dictate who permanently leads DPS and that Aniceto Ogumoro is serving only in an acting capacity. He also rejected speculation that the firings were tied to his own legal case, saying the decisions were unrelated and were instead meant to reflect active leadership.
Taken together, the two interviews now lay bare a rare public split between the governor and lieutenant governor, with Mendiola defending the firings as necessary leadership decisions and Apatang openly signaling he wants them undone.