[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 34 (Tuesday, February 21, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E138]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         HONORING THE LIFE OF EDWARD DELEON GUERRERO PANGELINAN

                                 ______
                                 

                   HON. AUMUA AMATA COLEMAN RADEWAGEN

                           of american samoa

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 21, 2023

  Mrs. RADEWAGEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Edward 
Deleon Guerrero Pangelinan who passed away on Friday, February 3, 2023, 
after struggling with cancer. ``Eddie'' as he was known to friends and 
loved ones, was born on October 24, 1941.
  A graduate of Howard University and the first Chamorro lawyer in the 
territory, Eddie was a key player in shaping the CNMI's status as a 
territory of the United States. As Chairman of the Marianas Political 
Status Commission, he led the political status negotiations resulting 
in the signing of The Covenant to Establish a Commonwealth of the 
Northern Mariana Islands in Political Union with the United States. He 
was the first Resident Representative from the Commonwealth of the 
Northern Mariana Islands to the United States. The office of Resident 
Representative served as the precursor to the Delegate from the CNMI to 
the United States House of Representatives and laid the groundwork for 
the territory's future representation in Congress. He would go on to 
serve in various roles supporting the CNMI and the territories.
  Eddie will always be remembered fondly as a founding father of the 
CNMI and as a cornerstone of the Pacific community. We honor his legacy 
and thank him and his family for their public service that continues to 
benefit the territories to this day.
  He is survived by his wife, Dulce Gatbonton Pangelinan, 6 children, 
and 11 grandchildren. His passing is not just a loss for the CNMI, but 
for the Pacific region at large. He will be missed.

                          ____________________