November 5, 2012; 9:25PM
RE: ELECTION 2012 - ESPERANSA FINAL ENDORSEMENT STATEMENT FOR SENATORIAL CANDIDATES
Dear Friend of the Unborn:
What follows is an explanation and analysis. For a quick print out of Esperansa's candidate ratings, click here for a summary in PDF. Take it to the polls.
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Informed consent legislation, in states where it is law, has proven to be the greatest legislative deterrent to abortion. It represents the pinnacle of pro-life legislative options in the wake of Roe v Wade.
Thus, as the 2012 election approached, THE ESPERANSA PROJECT, in partnership with GUAM ALLIANCE FOR THE DEFENSE OF THE UNBORN, saw no need to ask the candidates any other question other than how they would vote on Bill 52-31, which would require informed consent for abortion.
We had planned to do the survey before we learned of the Governor's call for a special session on October 24 to vote on Bill 52. Obviously there would be no need to survey incumbent candidates since their vote would provide us the answer, so while we waited for the vote on Bill 52, we issued the survey to non-incumbent candidates.
NON-INCUMBENT CANDIDATES
The following non-incumbent candidates responded in support of Bill 52 specifically and in support of pro-life legislation in general and are endorsed by Esperansa:
Democrats
- Gary W. "Frank" Gumataotao*
- Joe S. San Agustin
- Michael F. Q. San Nicolas
(*NOTE: Frank Gumataotao deserves special mention for his additional efforts to contact us and state that as an attorney, he will offer adoption services at no charge to women seeking an alternative to abortion.)
Republicans
- Antonio Aquiningoc
- Javier Atalig
- Adonis Mendiola
- Michael Limtiaco
- Michelle Taitano
- Jose Servino
- Thomas "Tommy" Morrison
- Brant McCreadie
- Roland Blas
We received no response from Benedict Toves, Frank Aguon, Jr., Leah Beth Naholowaa, and William Sarmiento. However, we must say that we STRONGLY OPPOSE former Senator Frank Aguon, Jr., for his role (in the 30th Guam Legislature) in the demise of Bill 54-30, the predecessor to Bill 52-31, and the disappearance of Bill 309-30 which would have mandated medical care for a child who survives a failed abortion.
INCUMBENT CANDIDATES
The vote on Bill 52-31 should have provided us a simple measure for the purposes of endorsement. However, there were two issues: 1) there is the fact this bill only came to a vote after a very long and tortuous journey, including much opposition from some who eventually voted for it, and 2) there was some question about an 11th hour amendment which put the actual implementation of the bill, once it became law, into question.
Through an additional inquiry we were able to secure the commitment of all the senators who voted for the bill (except one) that they will see the bill through the rules approval process as indicated in Section 4 of the bill, and to the new law's full implementation. (Only Senator Barnes did not reply to the additional inquiry.)
Eleven senators voted for Bill 52, but all cannot be endorsed equally given that some who voted for it actually championed the bill, others simply voted for it, and others, though they eventually voted for it, had previously attempted to keep it from going to a vote.
Thus, of the incumbent senators who voted FOR Bill 52, and after much thought and discussion, we must necessarily divide these senators into three categories: 1)STRONGLY ENDORSE, 2) ENDORSE, and 3) YOU DECIDE. (We issued previously a letter strongly opposing Senators Yamashita, Pangelinan, Tom Ada, and Won Pat who voted NO on Bill 52.)
STRONGLY ENDORSE
These are the senators who championed the bill from its beginning or have at least spoken strongly and openly in support of pro-life legislation and voted YES on Bill 52. They deserve special mention and an extra strong endorsement for their words and actions. They are:
- Senator Dennis Rodriguez, Jr. (D)
- Senator Christopher Duenas (R)
- Senator Mana Silva Taijeron (R)
(Note: Senator Frank Blas, Jr. is not running for the Legislature but deserves honorable mention in this category for his continuous pro-life legislative efforts.)
ENDORSE
These are the senators who voted YES on Bill 52 and we believe can be counted on to support future pro-life efforts. They are:
- Senator Adolfo Palacios (D)*
- Senator Vicente "Tony" Ada (R)
- Senator Shirley "Sam" Mabini (R)
(*Note: Even though Senator Palacios supported an earlier version of the bill which had been stripped of its essential provisions which effectively compromised its intent (on 3/28/11), he spoke strongly and clearly in support of Bill 52 on the Floor, October 24.
YOU DECIDE
These senators voted for Bill 52, and deserve our appreciation and may also deserve your vote. You will have to decide. Esperansa does not fully endorse them due to past actions which posed challenges to Bill 52 and other pro-life legislation. We have deleted the record of these challenges from our website as sign of appreciation for their action on Bill 52 and we hope that we will have a much more fruitful relationship working to protect the unborn and their mothers in the future, and one day, solidly endorse them. They are:
- Senator Benjamin Cruz*
- Senator Rory Respicio
- Senator Judith Gutherz
- Senator Tina Muna Barnes
(*NOTE: Tim Rohr previously and independently expressed his support for Senator Cruz for his unique support of Bill 52 during the discussion on the Floor on October 24. It can be found here.)
SUMMARY OF BOTH INCUMBENTS AND NON-INCUMBENTS
STRONGLY ENDORSE
- Senator Dennis Rodriguez, Jr. (D)
- Senator Christopher Duenas (R)
- Senator Mana Silva Taijeron (R)
ENDORSE
- Senator Adolfo Palacios (D)
- Senator Vicente "Tony" Ada (R)
- Senator Shirley "Sam" Mabini (R)
- Gary W. "Frank" Gumataotao (D)
- Joe S. San Agustin (D)
- Michael F. Q. San Nicolas (D)
- Antonio Aquiningoc (R)
- Javier Atalig (R)
- Adonis Mendiola (R)
- Michael Limtiaco (R)
- Michelle Taitano (R)
- Jose Servino (R)
- Thomas "Tommy" Morrison (R)
- Brant McCreadie (R)
- Roland Blas (R)
- Senator Benjamin Cruz (D)
- Senator Rory Respicio (D)
- Senator Judith Gutherz (D)
- Senator Tina Muna Barnes (D)
STRONGLY OPPOSE
- Senator Aline Yamashita (R)
- Senator Ben Pangelinan (D)
- Senator Tom Ada (D)
- Senator Judith Won Pat (D)
- Frank Aguon, Jr. (D)
The Esperansa Project
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