A long-serving public servant in the Northern Marianas Benjamin Taisacan Manglona has died at the age of 78.
He was the territory's second lieutenant governor and the first from the island of Rota to assume the CNMI's second highest government post.
Mr Manglona has had a 40 year career in the public service, working as mayor of Rota and as a lawmaker.
He was also a member of the Marianas Political Status Commission that drafted the CNMI Covenant which defines the islands' relationship with the United States.
Mr Manglona served as lieutenant governor for one term and in 1998 he was elected the mayor of Rota which he held until 2006.
