TABUK CITY, Kalinga – The Provincial Advisory Council (PAC) for the Kalinga Provincial Police Office approved two resolutions asking the intervention of the Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC) in resolving the Tulgao-Tongrayan and Bugnay-Betwagan sub-tribal conflicts.
Tulgao, Tongrayan and Bugnay are sub-tribes in Tinglayan while Betwagan is a sub-tribe of Sadanga, Mountain Province.
The sub-tribes severed their peace pacts over boundary disputes which have not been solved for a long time.
Early this month, Tulgao and Tongrayan exchanged peace tokens ending hostilities and to pave way for peace negotiation.
In passing the resolutions, the PAC chaired by Engr. Andres Ngao-i felt the need for the PPOC to intervene since the problem concerns the boundaries between Kalinga and Mountain Province.
It is also in consideration of the appeal of the local government of Sagada for the people involved in tribal conflicts to spare the municipality from any reprisal. The town is second home to people of Tinglayan mostly those who study there.
The Sangguniang Bayan of Sagada reiterated in Resolution 2 s. 2020 that the town has been declared a peace zone.
“The people of Sagada consider other people in the community their siblings and friends, thus (we) denounce any form of harassment that befall them,” the resolution reads.
The PPOC of Sagada also passed Resolution 1 s. 2020 imploring the Cordillera Bodong Association to find a peaceful resolution in terminating the Tinglayan (Tongrayan)-Tulgao and Betwagan-Bugnay tribal wars.
The council believes a cycle of violence is detrimental to resources, livelihood and development of the community and cultivates animosity between conflicting groups. – Peter A. Balocnit
April 30, 2024
