City IP seat stays vacant

THE SEAT for an Indigenous People’s Mandatory Representative in Baguio remains elusive.

A beleaguered Roger Sinot is hoping the Ibaloi selection process will prevail despite a series of stumbling blocks.

After protests marred his entry to the City Council, National Commission for Indigenous Peoples Regional Director Roland Calde appeared before the legislative body saying the issues will be brought back to the Baguio field office for investigation.

Sinot admitted to a case of moral turpitude against him stemming from a land dispute in Nueva Viscaya where he was convicted of theft and

served his 3 month sentence for allegedly stealing two truckloads of sand.

“That was in 2006 and I was convicted in 2013, I did not appeal nor contest anymore,” Sinot adding the loss was because of a technicality to which his counsel at that time failed to submit a response which led to his defeat in the case.

Under Section 10 of the NCIP guidelines an IPMR representative may be disqualified if he is “sentenced by final judgement for an offices involving moral turpitude for an offense punishable by one year or more of imprisonment, within two years after serving his sentence.”

Sinot also admits to be a registered voter in Kayapa, Nueva Viscaya in the last election, despite acquiring his voter’s registration in the city, to which the Comelec released.

Section 9 of the NCIP guidelines state; “He or she must be a registered voter in the barangay, municipality, city, province or district where he or she intends to assume office.”

In November, Sinot won in a historic vote besting four others in a bid to be the first Indigenous People’s Mandatory Representative (IPMR) of Baguio.

The gathering was attended by over 300 at the Avong Ibaloi Heritage Garden at Burnham Park where Ibaloi’s from the city converged to ratify guidelines for the IPMR selection after which the selection proceeded via secret ballot, as agreed by the council of elders.

Sinot led the tally with 89 votes followed by his closest contender Jackson Chiday with 53 while Vicky Macay, Basilio Binayan and Philip Canuto trailed, ending the process of selection.

Sinot is a school teacher and a former Barangay Pinsao chairman and the great grandson of Piraso, one of the original Ibaloi settlers of the Kafagway area (Baguio).

Mayor Maurcio Domogan earlier first voiced his concern over the selection of Sinot saying the process excluded other Indigenous Peoples confining the voting and selection to the Ibaloi group.

Sinot however said, Kalanguya and Kankana ey groups have acceded to an Ibaloi IPMR.