by Sabrina Salas Matanane

Guam - The four nominees from the island's Chamorro rights organizations say if chosen they are ready to take on the challenges that the Guam First Commission has in store for them. By tomorrow afternoon we should know who will make up the last member of the Guam First Commission.

Governor Eddie Calvo is just waiting for Chamorro rights groups to decide who will be their representative. The island's Chamorro rights organization selected amongst themselves who they would like to see represent them on the Commission. Four names were submitted to the Department of Chamorro Affairs earlier this week.

Trini Torres who was selected by the Taotaomona Native Rights Group; Frank J. Schacher was selected by the Chamorro Tribal Council; Antonio Artero Sablan was chosen by the Commission on Decolonization Task Force for Independence for Guam; and Dr. Michael "Miget" Lujan Bevacqua was selected by eight other groups - We Are Guahan, Famoksaiyan, Guahan Coalition for Peace and Justice, Chamorro Studies Association, I Nasion Chamoru, the Organization for the Protection of Indigenous Rights, the Chamoru Cultural Development and Research Institute and the Colonized Chamoru Coalition

The four nominees are excited about being nominated but feel there's still a need for clarification about the responsibilities of the Commission itself. Schacher told KUAM News, "It will be anybody's guess as to what the outcome of the Commission would be and whether or not the Commission would be taken seriously or whether it will be a waste of time, but I do know that if it is taken seriously it will require a great deal of time."

Dr. Bevacqua added, "It's very difficult to figure out what exactly is supposed to happen and so that's why when we get started we can figure it out because if this is, is a passive commission, is it a proactive commission, is it something where what the commission does be taken seriously or just another report which gets filed away somewhere and no one ever reads."

Torres said, "Whatever we push forward we have to also ensure and promote that the people are going to survive and not at the military's expense, not at the U.S. expense because they are a very strong power around the world let's face it."

Sablan noted, "My main purpose of course is to see that something good for Guam is done and that its good for our people in reference to moving forward with this and looking at what's best to protect us and our interest in this whole situation."

The four nominees will be meeting this Saturday at the Chamorro Village conference room to decide amongst themselves who will ultimately sit on the Guam First Commission. The nominees will meet in private as they deliberate on from 10 in the morning until 2 in the afternoon.