Lt. Gov. arraignment in refiled misconduct case reset to March 7

Lt. Gov. Dennis C. Mendiola’s scheduled March 2 arraignment on refiled misconduct in public office charges in Superior Court was reset to March 9 at 9am.

This, after Associate Judge Lilian Ada Tenorio disclosed a conflict in the case and returned the matter to Superior Court Presiding Judge Roberto C. Naraja.

When pressed by reporters about his comment regarding the refiled case, Mendiola said he didn’t want to comment before adding, “I’m going to enjoy my birthday.”

He just turned 46 years old.

The Office of the Attorney General refiled 13 counts of misconduct in public office and theft against Mendiola and Department of Fire and Emergency Management Services Lt. Justin Paul Mizutani, reviving a public-integrity case that was dismissed without prejudice last Jan. 26 due to procedural errors.

According to the refiled information, the Office of Attorney General alleges that between 2022 and 2023, while serving as a special assistant at the CNMI Homeland Security and Emergency Management, Mendiola authorized the transport of private and rental vehicles aboard government-chartered vessels without legal authority. The government claims the actions resulted in more than $60,000 in unpaid rental fees and related losses.

One count alleges a vehicle was transported without the rental company’s consent. Mizutani is accused of facilitating the rentals and vehicle movements outside the scope of his official duties.

The earlier case was dismissed by Associate Judge Joseph N. Camacho last Jan. 26 after the court found assistant attorney general Olga Kelly failed to comply with an order to provide a bill of particulars detailing specific facts underlying the charges. Instead of submitting the required document, Kelly filed an amended information expanding the case from six to 17 counts without first obtaining leave of court, prompting Camacho to vacate the charges without prejudice.

The newly filed case, docketed as Superior Court Case No. 26-0012-CR, was initiated by information last Feb. 3, 2026, allowing the OAG to proceed without a grand jury indictment. The refiling trims the case to 13 counts and excludes a former third defendant—Joey Dela Cruz, who later became HSEM acting special assistant—named in the earlier indictment.