Juan Pan Guerrero
Encyclopedia
Juan "Pan" Tenorio Guerrero (born December 10, 1949) is a Northern Mariana Islands
politician
and businessman. He has been a member of the Democratic Party of the Northern Mariana Islands in the past, but is running for Governor of the Northern Mariana Islands in 2009 as an independent, with Representative
Joe Camacho
as his running mate
.
, in Maturana Hill, Saipan
. He was the sixth of the twelve children of parents, Herman Reyes Guerrero and Maria Camacho Tenorio.
Guerrero attended Mt. Carmel School on Saipan for elementary school
. He attended high school at both Father Dueñas Memorial School
, a Roman Catholic school for boys in Guam
, and Rhodes Preparatory School
in New York City
. Guerrero also enrolled at Miami Dade Junior College
and the Nebraska Business College for college.
He resides in Gualo Rai, Saipan
, the Northern Mariana Islands
.
Guerrero was elected to the Northern Mariana Islands House of Representatives, where he served from 1984 to 1985 during the 4th Commonwealth Legislature. During his time in the House, Guerrero served as the chairman on the CNMI House Committee on Appropriations
. He was later elected to the Northern Mariana Islands Senate
from 1986 – 1990 during the 5th and 6th Commonwealth Legislatures. He was a member of the Committee on Resources and Economic Development and the Special Investigatory Committee while in the Senate.
Juan Pan Guerrero was appointed to a four year term on the Northern Mariana Islands Retirement Fund board of trustees in December 2006. He was elected the chairman of the board of trustees in 2007. He remained the chairman of the board of trustees until his resignation on August 6, 2009, to campaign for his 2009 gubernatorial run. Under Guerrero, the board of trustees filed a lawsuit against Governor Benigno Fitial's asministration in a dispute over employer contributions. A court later ruled that the government of the Northern Mariana Islands owed the NMI Retirement Fund $231.6 million in employer contributions
. Guerrero is also credited with leading the Retirement Fund to suspend payments to delinquent members, halting payments to people who were adopted as beneficiaries after a worker had retired, and suspending refund payments under his leadership.
In a joint announcement on March 10, 2009, Guerrero announce that Republican Representative
Joe Camacho
will be his running mate
in the 2009 Northern Mariana Islands gubernatorial election
. Guerrero had admired Camacho's organization during his campaign for the CNMI House of Representatives in 2007. He promised that the campaign and potential gubernatorial administration would be a partnership between the two. Guerrero spoke to a crowd of supporters at the Lt. Governor
announcement at Tan Marikita Café in Garapan
saying, "There is only one governor
. However, the governor has traditionally delegated authority
and responsibility to the lieutenant governor on certain issues and projects. There are many problems facing the CNMI today. It is only right and proper to delegate authority and responsibility so Joe's education, training, skills and experience can be fully utilized."
In a candidate's forum to the NMI Bar Association
on September 17, 2009, Guerrero told those in attendance that he and Camacho were not answering to special interest groups. Guerrero, who has campaigned to make the NMI easier to do business, said the most important issues facing the Northern Mariana Islands are the economy
, relations with the United States federal government, health care
, government efficiency, the NMI Retirement Fund, education
, the decline in tourism
and infrastructure
.
Guerrero told the Bar that a he supports a new, appointed Attorney General
position should be created in the CNMI, with autonomous powers like the public auditor. He stated that politics should not be a consideration in the appointment of judge
s.
On the issue of the U.S. federal government takeover of the Northern Mariana Islands immigration, Guerrero stated that the issue was too important for the government to pick an "arbitrary deadline" for federalization to take effect. Governor Fitial had filed a lawsuit against the U.S. government to stop the federalization of immigration. Guerrero said that the CNMI government should use its own government lawyers in the suit, instead of hiring private attorneys using taxpayer money.
Northern Mariana Islands
The Northern Mariana Islands, officially the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands , is a commonwealth in political union with the United States, occupying a strategic region of the western Pacific Ocean. It consists of 15 islands about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to the Philippines...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
and businessman. He has been a member of the Democratic Party of the Northern Mariana Islands in the past, but is running for Governor of the Northern Mariana Islands in 2009 as an independent, with Representative
Northern Mariana Islands House of Representatives
The Northern Mariana Islands House of Representatives is the lower house of the Northern Mariana Islands Commonwealth Legislature.In the 2007 election cycle, the CNMI House membership was increased from 18 to 20...
Joe Camacho
Joe Camacho
Joseph James Norita Camacho is a Northern Mariana Islands lawyer and politician. He is a Representative in the Northern Mariana Islands House of Representatives, as of 2009, and currently serves as the House's floor leader in the 16th Northern Marianas Legislature.Camacho is a candidate for...
as his running mate
Running mate
A running mate is a person running together with another person on a joint ticket during an election. The term is most often used in reference to the person in the subordinate position but can also properly be used when referring to both candidates, such as "Michael Dukakis and Lloyd Bentsen were...
.
Personal life
Juan Pan Guerrero was born on December 10, 1949, at the United States Naval HospitalNaval Hospital
Naval Hospital may refer to:* Bob Wilson Naval Hospital, San Diego, California, USA* Mound City Civil War Naval Hospital, Mound City, Illinois, USA* Naval Hospital Boston Historic District, Chelsea, Massachusetts, USA...
, in Maturana Hill, Saipan
Saipan
Saipan is the largest island of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands , a chain of 15 tropical islands belonging to the Marianas archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean with a total area of . The 2000 census population was 62,392...
. He was the sixth of the twelve children of parents, Herman Reyes Guerrero and Maria Camacho Tenorio.
Guerrero attended Mt. Carmel School on Saipan for elementary school
Elementary school
An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
. He attended high school at both Father Dueñas Memorial School
Father Duenas Memorial School
Father Dueñas Memorial School is an all-boys Catholic high school located in Dededo, Guam, United States.It is within the territory of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Agaña. The school is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. The Father Duenas Memorial School is now...
, a Roman Catholic school for boys in Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
, and Rhodes Preparatory School
Rhodes Preparatory School
Rhodes Preparatory School was a private school located at 11 West 54th Street in Manhattan, New York City, USA. There was a lower school with students in seventh and eighth grades and an upper school for students from grades nine through twelve. For a brief period in its history, there were also...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Guerrero also enrolled at Miami Dade Junior College
Miami Dade College
Miami Dade College, or simply Miami Dade or MDC, is a state college with eight campuses and twenty-one outreach centers located throughout Miami-Dade County, Florida in the United States. It is part of the Florida College System. Miami Dade College is the largest school in the Florida College...
and the Nebraska Business College for college.
He resides in Gualo Rai, Saipan
Saipan
Saipan is the largest island of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands , a chain of 15 tropical islands belonging to the Marianas archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean with a total area of . The 2000 census population was 62,392...
, the Northern Mariana Islands
Northern Mariana Islands
The Northern Mariana Islands, officially the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands , is a commonwealth in political union with the United States, occupying a strategic region of the western Pacific Ocean. It consists of 15 islands about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to the Philippines...
.
Career
Guerrero is the president of chairman of several CNMI based businesses, including Juan T. Guerrero & Associates, Inc. since 1991, the president and general manager of Herman’s Modern Bakery, Inc. since 1972, and the president of the Insurance & Business Management Corporation since 1982.Guerrero was elected to the Northern Mariana Islands House of Representatives, where he served from 1984 to 1985 during the 4th Commonwealth Legislature. During his time in the House, Guerrero served as the chairman on the CNMI House Committee on Appropriations
Appropriation (law)
In law and government, appropriation is the act of setting apart something for its application to a particular usage, to the exclusion of all other uses....
. He was later elected to the Northern Mariana Islands Senate
Northern Mariana Islands Senate
The Northern Mariana Islands Senate is the upper house of the Northern Mariana Islands Commonwealth Legislature. The Senate consists of nine senators representing three senatorial districts , each a multi-member constituency with three senators.In the November 2007 elections, the three senators up...
from 1986 – 1990 during the 5th and 6th Commonwealth Legislatures. He was a member of the Committee on Resources and Economic Development and the Special Investigatory Committee while in the Senate.
Juan Pan Guerrero was appointed to a four year term on the Northern Mariana Islands Retirement Fund board of trustees in December 2006. He was elected the chairman of the board of trustees in 2007. He remained the chairman of the board of trustees until his resignation on August 6, 2009, to campaign for his 2009 gubernatorial run. Under Guerrero, the board of trustees filed a lawsuit against Governor Benigno Fitial's asministration in a dispute over employer contributions. A court later ruled that the government of the Northern Mariana Islands owed the NMI Retirement Fund $231.6 million in employer contributions
Defined contribution plan
In economics, a defined contribution plan is a type of retirement plan in which the amount of the employer's annual contribution is specified. Individual accounts are set up for participants and benefits are based on the amounts credited to these accounts plus any investment earnings on the money...
. Guerrero is also credited with leading the Retirement Fund to suspend payments to delinquent members, halting payments to people who were adopted as beneficiaries after a worker had retired, and suspending refund payments under his leadership.
Candidacy for Governor of the Northern Mariana Islands
Juan Pan Guerrero announced that he would run for Governor of the Northern Mariana Islands as an independent candidate.In a joint announcement on March 10, 2009, Guerrero announce that Republican Representative
Northern Mariana Islands House of Representatives
The Northern Mariana Islands House of Representatives is the lower house of the Northern Mariana Islands Commonwealth Legislature.In the 2007 election cycle, the CNMI House membership was increased from 18 to 20...
Joe Camacho
Joe Camacho
Joseph James Norita Camacho is a Northern Mariana Islands lawyer and politician. He is a Representative in the Northern Mariana Islands House of Representatives, as of 2009, and currently serves as the House's floor leader in the 16th Northern Marianas Legislature.Camacho is a candidate for...
will be his running mate
Running mate
A running mate is a person running together with another person on a joint ticket during an election. The term is most often used in reference to the person in the subordinate position but can also properly be used when referring to both candidates, such as "Michael Dukakis and Lloyd Bentsen were...
in the 2009 Northern Mariana Islands gubernatorial election
Northern Mariana Islands gubernatorial election, 2009
The Northern Mariana Islands gubernatorial election, 2009 was held on November 7, 2009 to determine the Governor of the Northern Mariana Islands....
. Guerrero had admired Camacho's organization during his campaign for the CNMI House of Representatives in 2007. He promised that the campaign and potential gubernatorial administration would be a partnership between the two. Guerrero spoke to a crowd of supporters at the Lt. Governor
Lieutenant Governor of the Northern Mariana Islands
The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands has a self governing government consisting of a locally elected governor, Lieutenant Governor and the Northern Mariana Islands Commonwealth Legislature. The current Lieutenant Governor is Eloy Inos, who was appointed to fill the vacancy created when...
announcement at Tan Marikita Café in Garapan
Garapan
Garapan is the largest village and the center of the tourism industry on the island of Saipan, which is a part of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands ....
saying, "There is only one governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
. However, the governor has traditionally delegated authority
Authority
The word Authority is derived mainly from the Latin word auctoritas, meaning invention, advice, opinion, influence, or command. In English, the word 'authority' can be used to mean power given by the state or by academic knowledge of an area .-Authority in Philosophy:In...
and responsibility to the lieutenant governor on certain issues and projects. There are many problems facing the CNMI today. It is only right and proper to delegate authority and responsibility so Joe's education, training, skills and experience can be fully utilized."
In a candidate's forum to the NMI Bar Association
Bar association
A bar association is a professional body of lawyers. Some bar associations are responsible for the regulation of the legal profession in their jurisdiction; others are professional organizations dedicated to serving their members; in many cases, they are both...
on September 17, 2009, Guerrero told those in attendance that he and Camacho were not answering to special interest groups. Guerrero, who has campaigned to make the NMI easier to do business, said the most important issues facing the Northern Mariana Islands are the economy
Economy
An economy consists of the economic system of a country or other area; the labor, capital and land resources; and the manufacturing, trade, distribution, and consumption of goods and services of that area...
, relations with the United States federal government, health care
Health care
Health care is the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in humans. Health care is delivered by practitioners in medicine, chiropractic, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, allied health, and other care providers...
, government efficiency, the NMI Retirement Fund, education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
, the decline in tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
and infrastructure
Infrastructure
Infrastructure is basic physical and organizational structures needed for the operation of a society or enterprise, or the services and facilities necessary for an economy to function...
.
Guerrero told the Bar that a he supports a new, appointed Attorney General
Attorney General
In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general, or attorney-general, is the main legal advisor to the government, and in some jurisdictions he or she may also have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions.The term is used to refer to any person...
position should be created in the CNMI, with autonomous powers like the public auditor. He stated that politics should not be a consideration in the appointment of judge
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
s.
On the issue of the U.S. federal government takeover of the Northern Mariana Islands immigration, Guerrero stated that the issue was too important for the government to pick an "arbitrary deadline" for federalization to take effect. Governor Fitial had filed a lawsuit against the U.S. government to stop the federalization of immigration. Guerrero said that the CNMI government should use its own government lawyers in the suit, instead of hiring private attorneys using taxpayer money.