“The Attorney General’s Cup speech competition has a long tradition of encouraging our youth to think critically about important legal and civic issues,” said Attorney General Manibusan. “This event gives students a meaningful platform to express their ideas and engage with issues that impact our community,” he said.

The Steering Committee has started preparations for the upcoming competition. Committee members are working collaboratively to coordinate logistics, review competition guidelines, and outreach to schools across the CNMI to promote student participation.

Attorney General Manibusan welcomes the public to attend the event and show their support for the participating students of the CNMI. The topic for the 39th Annual Attorney General’s Cup Speech Competition will be announced at a later date along with additional information regarding the competition.

For more information on the speech competition, please contact Ms. Andrea M. Kaipat at the Office of the Attorney General at 670-237-7500/7600 or through email at andrea_kaipat@cnmioag.org. ####

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The post OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL ADOPTS REGULATIONS TO STRENGTHEN INVESTIGATIVE SUBPOENA PROCESS appeared first on Office of the Attorney General.

Ning was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment, suspended, and ordered to pay $4,500 in fines plus additional court fees. She will also serve two years of supervised probation. As part of her sentence, Ning must obtain all required licenses and permits from the relevant government agencies before completing construction of her buildings.

“Our office remains committed to protecting the integrity of government institutions and ensuring that public processes are free from corruption,” says Attorney General Manibusan. The OAG extends its appreciation to former Zoning Administrator Theresita Ogumoro, Zoning Chief Enforcement Officer Yubert Alepuyo, and Zoning Enforcement Officer Perry Borja for their cooperation and professionalism throughout the investigation and prosecution.

In another matter, the case against Teresita Camacho who along with other defendants who were charged with misconduct in public office has been continued to February 26, 2026 at 1:30 PM, when a status conference will be held before Associate Judge Kenneth L. Govendo.

On October 17, 2025 the court issued an arrest warrant for Teresita Camacho, who currently resides outside the Commonwealth and has failed to appear before the court, either personally or through legal counsel. This case remains outstanding and will be heard when Ms. Camacho or her attorney appears to answer the charge against her at which point the warrant may be quashed.

Attorney General Manibusan states, “The Office of the Attorney General reaffirms its commitment to upholding the rule of law and promoting accountability in public service. Our Office expresses its gratitude to the public for their continued trust and support.”

The Office of the Attorney General remains steadfast in its mission to uphold the rule of law while promoting transparency, accountability, and good governance throughout the Commonwealth.

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The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Office of the Attorney General intends to adopt as permanent regulations the attached Proposed Regulations, pursuant to the procedures of the Administrative Procedure Act,1 CMC § 9104(a). The Regulations
would become effective 10 days after adoption and publication in the Commonwealth
Register. (1 CMC § 91 05(b))

AUTHORITY: NMI Constitution, Article III, Section 11 & The CNMI Administrative
Procedure Act (1 CMC §§ 9101-9115). The Office of the Attorney General is
constitutionally established as an independent agency within the executive branch,
headed by the elected Attorney General. The NMI Constitution requires the Attorney
General to “prosecut[e] violations of Commonwealth law.”

THE TERMS AND SUBSTANCE: The Regulations provide the process by which the
Office of the Attorney General shall issue and enforce investigative subpoenas to
investigate violations of Commonwealth law.

THE SUBJECTS AND ISSUES INVOLVED: These rules and regulations: establish the
process by which the Office of the Attorney General will issue and enforce investigative
subpoenas for documents and testimony in connection with prosecuting violations of
Commonwealth law.

DIRECTIONS FOR FILING AND PUBLICATION: These Proposed Regulations shall be
published in the Commonwealth Register in the section on proposed and newly adopted
regulations (1 CMC § 91 02(a)(1)) and posted in convenient places in the civic center and
in local government offices in each senatorial district, both in English and in the principal
vernacular. (1 CMC § 91 04(a)(1 )).

TO PROVIDE COMMENTS: Send or deliver your comments to the Office of the Attorney
General, at the above address or email address, with the subject line “Subpoena
Regulations.” Comments are due within 30 days from the date of publication of this
notice. Please submit your data, views or arguments. (1 CMC § 91 04(a)(2)).
These proposed regulations were approved by the Attorney General on September 23,
2025.

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Opioid Proceeds Council, Saipan – The Opioid Proceeds Council is excited to announce its first notice of funding opportunity.

This competitive funding opportunity is open to CNMI government agencies and registered local non-profit organizations that focus on providing evidence-based, direct client services to individuals with opioid and/or substance use disorders.
Interested applicants can obtain an application packet by emailing opc@cnmioag.org. The application period will open on August 30th, 2025 and the deadline to apply will be on October 14, 2025.

The Council encourages eligible organizations to apply for funding. The OPC remains committed to ensuring that the opioid settlement funds are directed toward meaningful, community-centered solutions that help address addiction, promote recovery, and save lives.

For more information, please email opc@cnmioag.org or call 670-285-6723 (OPCF). Hours of operation are Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:00am to 4:00pm.

“We are proud to announce this year’s funding opportunity as a continued step towards healing and resilience in our communities. These funds are more than just financial support; they are a commitment to recovery and the breaking the cycle of opioid addiction and substance use. We look forward to partnering with organizations who are ready to deliver a meaningful and lasting impact which will benefit the whole CNMI community,” says the Council.

Funding is made possible through the Opioid Proceeds Fund, derived from the National Opioid Settlement.

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WHEREAS, every child deserves the love, care, and financial support of a family to grow into healthy, productive adults and reach their full potential; and

WHEREAS, the emotional and financial support of parents, extended families, caregivers, and the whole community is essential to a child’s overall well-being and development; and

WHEREAS, many families rely on the support provided through child support services to meet basic needs, and support payments pave the way to stronger parent-child relationships, improved educational attainment for children, and reduced reliance on public assistance programs; and

WHEREAS, the CNMI Office of the Attorney General provides free services to parents and custodians involved in interstate child support enforcement actions and strives to ensure that the child support process is fair, efficient, and impartial to all parties and serves in the best interest of children; and

WHEREAS, CNMI employers are crucial in supporting the child support program by providing information regarding employees and garnishing wages to ensure that children receive the support they need; and

WHEREAS, the Office of the Attorney General, Child Support Enforcement Division, collaborates with the CNMI Judiciary, Department of Labor, employers, and community partners to enforce child support orders and provide support services, and

WHEREAS, August is celebrated as Child Support Awareness Month to applaud and honor the parents and custodians who support children and to recognize that raising awareness about child support services is an effective investment in the CNMI’s future, as the program increases self-sufficiency, reduces child poverty, and positively impacts children and families, and

WHEREAS, we encourage all residents to recognize the vital role child support programs play in strengthening families, promoting self-sufficiency, and ensuring the well-being of our children, and

WHEREAS, together, let us continue working to support the success and future of every child in our community. By fostering cooperation among parents, guardians, and support agencies, we help create a more stable and nurturing environment where every child has the opportunity to thrive.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, DAVID M. APATANG, Governor of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and I, DENNIS JAMES C. MENDIOLA, Lt. Governor of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands by virtue of the authority vested in us by the Constitution and Laws of the Commonwealth, do hereby proclaim August 2025 as

CHILD SUPPORT AWARENESS MONTH

We encourage all residents to recognize the vital role that child support programs play in strengthening families, promoting self-sufficiency, and ensuring the well-being of our children. Let us continue to work together to support the success and future of every child in our community. By fostering cooperation among parents, guardians, and support agencies, we help create a more stable, nurturing environment where every child can thrive.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, we have hereunto set our hands on this 12th day of August 2025.

DAVID M. APATANG
Governor

DENNIS JAMES C. MENDIOLA
Lieutenant Governor

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Currently, the Office of the Attorney General CSEU assists parents and custodians with interstate child support cases. An interstate child support case is between two parents who live in different states. For example, one parent resides in the CNMI, while the other parent resides in Guam or somewhere in the United States. The CSEU currently handles over 163 active child support cases and remains committed to strengthening its services by actively exploring opportunities to expand their reach and effectiveness to better serve our community.

In 2024, CSEU collected and distributed a total of $486,630.34 in child support. This substantial amount encompasses $462,827.41 from non-custodial parents’ monthly child support orders, $11,065.15 from Tax Rebates/Refunds, $6,161.78 from Child Tax, and $6,576.00 from the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC).

So far in 2025, the CSEU has collected and distributed a total of $151,854.75 in child support. This amount includes $139,215.87 obtained from non-custodial parents, $10,060.88 from tax rebates/refunds, and $2,578.00 from the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC).

“It is important that we raise awareness and remind our community that children need our support to live a decent life and to be successful. Our office will continue to exert all efforts to ensure that each child receives the financial resources necessary for their growth and stability. To ensure the success and well-being of our children it takes our whole community, from non-custodial parents, neighbors, friends, and employers alike to achieve this goal.” says Attorney General Edward Manibusan.

The CSEU is strengthening our enforcement efforts to ensure children receive the child support ordered by the court. The CESU is committed to working collaboratively with non-custodial parents to establish manageable payment plans to assist in fulfilling their support obligation. Additionally, the CSEU also assists parents with modification of child support orders if circumstances have significantly changed.

CONSEQUENCES OF NON-PAYMENTS: Public Law 20-47 empowers the enforcement of child support orders by implementing the suspension of various licenses, including but not limited to driver’s licenses and hunting and fishing licenses, as a consequence of non-payment of child support obligations. The Office of the Attorney General CSEU is establishing a protocol to initiate the revocation of licenses in accordance with the enforcement of Public Law 20-47.

The Office of the General CSEU has partnered with the Department of Labor and the CNMI Judiciary to establish a Responsible Parent Court. This partnership is an effort to remove barriers to non-custodial parents paying their child support by providing supportive services through the WIA Program. The Court will have regular reviews of child support cases to assist non-custodial parents and increase accountability.

The CSEU emphasizes once again, the importance of employers’ adherence to PL 20-60 (State Directory of New Hires), which mandates the reporting of comprehensive employee information. This includes data on current employees, new hires, as well as resignations within businesses. The provision of such details equips the CSEU with the necessary information to facilitate and bolster our child support enforcement capabilities.

The Office of the Attorney General encourages the community to take an active role in helping all children to live a happy life and receive the financial support they need. For more information regarding the Child Support services of the Office of the Attorney General, please contact 670-237-7500 or you can visit our website www.cnmioag.org

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This event addressed some of the most complex issues in the OAG’s public sector legal work including conflicts of interest and the representation of our Commonwealth agencies. Additional topics covered during the training included administrative law, advising clients and government agencies, managing conflict between agencies, antitrust implication in state agency representation, handling complex litigation & conflict, human resources dynamics, and participation in roundtable discussions. In addition to the NAAG training, the CNMI Law Revision Commission’s Executive Director, Atty. Carmen Borja conducted an in-person training on the navigation of the Law Revision website to improve staff proficiency in conducting legal research in the staff and attorney’s daily work activities.

“This training reflects our commitment to continuous professional development, even when logistical challenges arise. By using technology to connect with trainers, we are able to provide high-value professional development while eliminating travel related costs such as airfare. This approach also enables us to have a broader participation of trainees from our office,” says Attorney General Manibusan.

Participants gathered comfortably with fully equipped conference facilities at Saipan’s Crowne Plaza, which allowed for interactive group discussions, practical exercises, and a focused learning environment. Regardless of the trainer’s remote presence, the webinar format allowed for real-time engagement, question and answer forums, and feedback.

Attorney General Manibusan extends his gratitude to the National Association of Attorneys General, Jeanette Manning and Kate Donovan from NAAG, and the CNMI Law Revision Commission for extending their invaluable assistance and unwavering support in making this training possible.

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“These funds are crucial in helping provide support for addiction treatment, investing in long-term prevention strategies, and recovery services where they are needed most, for the members of our community and their families to help them recover. It is vital that we protect our future generations from this opioid crisis and ensure that our community can break free from the devastating cycle caused by addiction,” said Attorney General Manibusan.

Under the Sacklers’ ownership, Purdue made and aggressively marketed opioid products for decades, fueling the largest drug crisis in the nation’s history. The settlement ends the Sacklers’ control of Purdue and their ability to sell opioids in the United States. Communities across the country will directly receive funds over the next 15 years to support addiction treatment, prevention, and recovery. This settlement in principle is the nation’s largest settlement to date with individuals responsible for the opioid crisis. The CNMI will receive as much as $874,065.87 from this settlement over the next 15 years.

Most of the settlement funds will be distributed in the first three years. The Sacklers will pay $1.5 billion and Purdue will pay roughly $900 million in the first payment, followed by $500 million after one year, an additional $500 million after two years, and $400 million after three years.

Like prior opioid settlements, the settlement with Purdue and the Sacklers will involve resolution of legal claims by state and local governments. The local government sign-on and voting solicitation process for this settlement moving forward will be contingent on bankruptcy court approval. A hearing is scheduled on that matter in the coming days.

Attorney General Manibusan is joined in securing this settlement in principle by the attorneys general of Alabama, Alaska, American Samoa, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, U.S. Virgin Islands, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin, Wyoming.

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“Education is the most powerful tool we can provide our Veterans who have served and sacrificed their time for our country. This benefit will help our Veterans achieve a normal life after their long service,” say Attorney General Manibusan.

The case, Yoon v. Collins, centers on Lieutenant Colonel Paul Yoon, a decorated Virginia Army veteran who served nearly 24 years, including deployments to Iraq, Afghanistan, and Kosovo. Despite the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Rudisill v. McDonough, the VA continues to deny LTC Yoon full G.I. Bill education benefits and has blocked him from transferring those benefits to his daughter.

In Rudisill, the Supreme Court held that veterans who qualify under both the Montgomery and Post-9/11 GI Bills are entitled to 48 months of combined education benefits based on their total length of service. The VA’s refusal to apply that ruling to LTC Yoon’s case directly contradicts the Supreme Court’s decision and undermines the federal government’s commitment to those who have served.

Virginia’s brief was joined by the attorneys general of Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

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