Still no Yona mayor resignation, possible solutions eyed

Currently, before the legislature two bills aimed at resolving the situation in Yona. While another one is on the way, Mayors' Council of Guam and lawmakers have to act fast.

Senators have asked Yona Mayor Jesse Blas to step down

"We haven't heard from him directly or indirectly," Angel Sablan, Mayors' Council executive director said. "We have not heard from the mayor."

What we have heard are two bills, one introduced by Speaker Tina Muna Barnes, the oth

 

er Vice Speaker Telena Nelson. Both are geared toward resolving the problems in the village of Yona.

Since September of last year, Blas has been locked up pending his trial in the District Court in February. He's still getting paid.


"They recalculated and it expires at the end of this month, in about two weeks," Sablan said.

But he's unable to perform his official duties. There's no vice mayor in Yona and there's also no legally required Municipal Planning Council. While bills have been introduced to help the leaderless village, Sablan says time is of the essence.


"March 8th is actually days from the general election," he said. "And statute right now says that if there is no vacancy declared by that days there shall be no special election. "It shall be by appointment. Through the MPC, through the governor. With consent and advice from the legislature. But right now we don't have that MPC."

The speaker's bill, co-sponsored by Minority Leader Sen. Wil Castro would provide for the expedient appointment of an MPC, while Vice Speaker Nelson's measure calls for a recall election. Both bills have to go up for a public hearing and then placed on session agenda, passed and signed before March 8. Sablan said the issue could be resolved quickly if the mayor actually resigns or if current law is repealed with respect to the 240 days.

For now, Sablan said he's going to move forward with preparing for any possible scenario.

"I'm going to request because the mayor is still the mayor, and even though he's still in detention, that we prepare some letters of appointment of people of his choosing and that he knows," he said. "He needs 10. Appoint them. The law says he doesn't have to be the one to swear them in. It could be anybody. It could be another mayor, a senator, anybody. It could be me."

According to the speaker's office, they have not received any response from Mayor Blas on the request that he step down from his position.

Mayor Blas meanwhile has pleaded not guilty to charges accusing him of extortion and accepting bribes to bring in drugs through cluster boxes in his village. He is scheduled for trial on Feb. 4.


"Any good is coming out of this situation in this village of Yona now, it's put some attention into filling the gaps on how to handle periods of time when there is no mayor for a certain village," Sablan said.