[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 69 (Thursday, May 16, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E818-E819]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        IN HONOR OF OFFICER GILBERT MANGLONA TAISACAN OF TINIAN

                                 ______


                        HON. ROBERT A. UNDERWOOD

                                of guam

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 16, 1996

  Mr. UNDERWOOD. Mr. Speaker, a small delegation from a far corner of 
America, from the Island of Tinian in the Commonwealth of the Northern 
Mariana Islands has journeyed to Washington to join the President of 
the United States and thousands of law enforcement officers from around 
the Nation in a peace officers' memorial service honoring the 174 law 
enforcement officers killed in the line of duty last year. The CNMI is 
a good neighbor of Guam and we share a common history as well as 
cultural traditions.
  The 174 names and those of nearly 100 others who died in the past 
years were added to the National Law Enforcement Officers' Memorial. 
There are 14,064 names on the Law Enforcement Memorial. Everyone of 
them, like Gilbert Manglona Taiscan, are heroes who laid down their 
lives in the service of their communities.
  In conjunction with the memorial service, I would like to take a 
moment today to honor a Tinian peace officer killed in the line of duty 
last year.

[[Page E819]]

  Mr. Speaker, Officer Gilbert Manglona Taiscan was a family man. He 
was born, lived, and died on Tinian. Brought into the world by his 
parents Teresita and Bernadino Taisacan. Gilbert was born on August 
1969. He grew up on Tinian, was educated on Tinian until leaving for 
the only time in his life to attend Marianas High School in Saipan, 
graduating in 1987. He was active in his community, always looking to 
help others. It was with that spirit that he joined the Department of 
Public Safety and was not surprisingly, assigned to Tinian. Gilbert was 
an exceptional officer. He moved through the ranks with merit. In 1990, 
Gilbert was married and in 1991 he and his wife Alma had a daughter 
named Terrilynn. In 1995, Gilbert was named the Police Officer of the 
Year. As the month of August 1995 began, Gilbert had developed a good 
and meaningful life for himself in the only town he had ever known. It 
was in that spirit that Gilbert Taisacan was killed.
  On August 20, 1995, during a routine patrol, Gilbert Taisacan was 
called to respond to a disturbance involving harassment against a 
waitress. Taisacan and his partner Sgt. R.C. Borja went to apprehend 
the suspect for the second time and were confronted by the suspect, who 
shot both before killing himself. Sgt. R.C. Borja, through the grace of 
God, survived the accident and today walks around with a bullet in his 
stomach. Gilbert Taisacan was killed.
  Tinian is a small place in the middle of a small island chain known 
as the Northern Mariana Islands but the life and contribution of 
Gilbert Taisacan was as large as any citizen of the biggest city. In a 
small community, the presence of one special person makes a big 
difference. Despite his untimely death, Gilbert Taisacan stepped up and 
made a difference. Tinian is a better place because of that.
  Accompanying the Tinian delegation to the memorial service was the 
Honorable Juan N. Babauta, Resident representative of the Northern 
Marianas, Mrs. Alma M. Taisacan, widow of Gilbert, Ms. Terrilynn 
Taisacan, daughter of Gilbert, Mrs. Teresita M. Taisacan Ngiraidong, 
mother of Gilbert, Sgt. Anthony M. Taisacan, brother of Gilbert, Gil 
Borja, Director of Public Safety, Capt. Juanis M. King, Sgt. Antonio 
S.N. Borja, and William B. Nabors, representing the mayor of Tinian.

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