Apatang sworn in as CNMI’s 10th governor; Mendiola takes oath as 14th lieutenant governor

07/25/2025 - David Mundo Apatang was sworn as the CNMI’s 11th governor yesterday, July 24, at the Governor’s Office conference room on Capitol Hill. 

The 77-year-old Vietnam War veteran was sworn in by Chief Justice Alexandro C. Castro. He succeeds the late governor Arnold I. Palacios, who suddenly passed last July 23 after being medically evacuated to Guam earlier in the day.

During the emotional swearing in, which was held in front of Cabinet members, lawmakers, and Apatang’s family, the former lieutenant governor’s voice cracked several times as the raw emotion of Palacios’ passing the day before overcame him.

Apatang paused a few seconds and struggled to say “governor” after Castro asked him to repeat the words, “I will faithfully and honestly discharge my duties as the governor of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands to the best of my ability, so help me God.”

Castro then hugged Apatang after the oath-taking with tears and sorrow palpable in both their faces. 

Apatang then addressed the assembled crowd at the packed Governor’s Office conference room that now he commands. 

“Today is a very sad day. It's really hard to express what happened. Actually, you know, when we started this journey, we weren't expecting it to be like this,” he said.

Apatang said, like many in the Commonwealth over a rainy evening and early morning, he wasn’t able to sleep.

Commenting on his relationship with his predecessor, Apatang said he and Palacios didn’t always see eye to eye, but there was always mutual respect and admiration.

“Just like my inaugural speech, you know, if you look back, I always say that if there's any difference between myself and the governor, it always comes up to, you know, working together at the end for the Commonwealth and our people. My heart goes out to the family, first lady Wella, and their children. We will be working on an arrangement for the governor's arrival and his state funeral.”

Apatang then promised to carry on Palacios’ work, saying, “We will continue to work together to follow his dreams and accomplish what we need to do for our people, just like he wants to do. That's exactly what we're going to do.”

With a Cabinet meeting set after the oathtaking, followed on Friday by a meeting with special assistants, Apatang reached out to the Legislature to help him plan for Palacios’ state funeral. The swearing in ended with the new governor taking a group photo with his family before being congratulated by dozens of well-wishers. 

A couple of hours later at the same place, Senate President Dennis James Camacho Mendiola was sworn in as the CNMI’s 14th lieutenant governor.

Castro again administered the oath of office while Mendiola’s son, Brian, held the Bible. Mendiola’s wife is currently in Washington, D.C.

In an impromptu speech after he was sworn in, Mendiola said his ascension to the post of lieutenant governor is not a time for celebration.

“It's unprecedented time, of course. Nobody expected [us] to be here. It's not time for celebration. It's time for mourning for our late governor, and we're going to go ahead and respect that.”

Mendiola, a former commissioner of the Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services and former special assistant of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, extended his condolences to the family of Palacios.

He also admitted to having a heavy heart in accepting his new post.

“I can go ahead and say that it's a constitutional mandate that I ascend. So, I'm going to go ahead and take this responsibility and, you know, work with the governor to ensure that we push a lot of these, you know, this situation that the CNMI is facing forward in the best interest of our people.”

In a light moment, Mendiola said he doesn’t mind being scolded by Apatang since the latter earlier said that he would often scold Palacios when they had arguments because he was older by eight years. 

Apatang also said he has requested Guam Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero to expedite the death certificate for Palacios so the CNMI community can pay their respects to the late governor.

Report by Mark Rabago