Benavente resigns as director emeritus of PIDB due to board inaction

11/13/2025 - Former lieutenant governor Diego T. Benavente has resigned as director emeritus of the Pacific Islands Development Bank.

In a Nov. 7 letter to the regional financial institution, the 66-year-old longtime CNMI lawmaker said he was stepping down in protest over the “lack of action taken by the Board of Governors and Board of Directors regarding several critical matters that have gone unresolved for far too long.”

Benavente, who was diagnosed with an aggressive form of acute leukemia in August 2025, said his concern stemmed from a grievance letter submitted by nearly all PIDB staff—save one—against PIDB president and CEO Lindsay Timarong.

The grievance, he said, raised serious concerns about Timarong’s leadership.

After being tasked by Board of Governors chair Lester D. Mersai to head a committee of the whole to investigate and propose solutions, Benavente and his panel recommended that Timarong spend more time in the PIDB office, reduce off-island travel, and improve relations with her staff.

However, Benavente said the PIDB president and CEO failed to take the necessary corrective actions, and issues of mistreatment continued.

Despite multiple discussions in quarterly meetings—including at PIDB’s most recent gathering on Saipan in May 2025—no tangible progress was made, he added.

To make matters worse, Benavente cited the wrongful termination of two PIDB employees, Rosa Weilbacher and Rachel Gabriel, which further eroded morale. He said he and other board members were deeply disappointed by the lack of action from Mersai in response to their appeals.

“The board had agreed to support their requests, yet there has been no resolution, nor any response from the president/CEO on the matter. This lack of accountability, coupled with the failure to uphold the bank’s values of regional cooperation, has led me to conclude that my continued role with the board is no longer tenable,” Benavente wrote.

He added that his resignation was not only in protest of the unresolved staff treatment issues, but also over the board’s inability “to take decisive action to address these concerns.”

Before concluding his letter, Benavente thanked the PIDB Board of Governors, Guam Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero, CNMI Gov. David M. Apatang, and CNMI Rep. John Paul Sablan for supporting his efforts to address the issue.

“I also wish to thank, from the Board of Directors, directors Frank Atalig and Robson Henry... Thank you all for the opportunity to serve in this important regional organization. It has truly been an honor. I remain hopeful that the board will take swift action on behalf of those who have been wronged, and that the future of PIDB will be one of true cooperation, transparency, and respect,” he said.

Marianas Press made several attempts to contact PIDB and Timarong by email and telephone, but neither the bank nor Timarong had responded as of press time.

Report by Mark Rabago