Kalinga Gov calls for ceasefire

CRISIS COMMITTEE FORMED AMID TRIBAL DISPUTE

ACTING Kalinga Governor James Eduba has created a crisis committee in the province to avert further escalation of violence amid the ongoing boundary dispute between the Tongrayan and Tolgao Tribes in Tinglayan.

In his report to the quarterly Regional Peace and Order and Development Council meeting in Apayao province, Eduba explained the composition of a crisis committee involving the Philippine National Police, Army, the religious sector, and neutral tribes of the province.

“After having four meetings at the brigade, the crisis committee have declared

the boundary between Tongrayan and Tolgao to a cease fire with the presence of the PNP and military with all the conditions set for the two tribes to respect,” the governor said.

Earlier, elder leaders of the Tongrayan and Tolgao tribes passed a covenant declaring Tabuk City, Isabela and Cagayan province to be a peace zone for them not to escalate the fighting while protecting its students and employees earlier sent home.

Aside from this, the City of Baguio, provinces of Benguet, Mountain Province, Zambales and Manila are now identified as a peace zones through the “Sipat”.

“Another meeting with the Provincial and Municipal Peace and Order councils will be held today calling on all barangay captains of Tinglayan to help in the resolution of the case,” the Kalinga chief executive stated.

Edduba added all actions have been made including the “Bodong” process but to no avail and have asked the help of the different government institution to help solve the problem.

Meanwhile, RDC Chairman and Baguio City Mayor Mauricio Domogan reminded the council of an existing Peace Pact instituted in 1993 for all the different tribes in the region possibly involved in tribal wars.

The RDC unanimously passed a resolution supporting the practice of settlement among the tribes minus the violence.

The moment violence arise, let the PNP and AFP come in,” Domogan added.