TABUK CITY, Kalinga – The two surviving peace pact holders of the historic Mount Data ‘sipat’ right after the 1986 EDS Revolution are urging autonomy advocates to put extra pressure to the national government so that it will be compelled to certify as urgent the passage of House Bill (HB) 4649 or the bill that seeks to establish an autonomous region in the Cordillera for the realization of the decades of struggle for self-governance.
Engr. Andres Ngao-I, president of the Cordillera Peoples Liberation Army – Cordillera Bodong Administration (CPLA-CBAd), cited part of the obligation of the national government under the Mount Data peace agreement signed between former President Corazon C. Aquino representing the government and former rebel priest Conrado Balweg representing the CPLA is the establishment of an autonomous region in the Cordillera in order to effectively and efficiently address the injustices committed by the national government to the region, especially In terms of the equitable distribution of the country’s meagre resources.
He said the two surviving peace pact holders, Mosling Bon-as and Pedro Abbacan, want the realization of the promised autonomy while they are still living so that they will also be able to be witnesses to the success of their decades of armed struggle that resulted in the loss of lives and inflicted damage to property.
“Autonomy is the root cause of our decades of armed struggle in the region. We were convinced to embrace peace after the promised realization of autonomy in our region and despite the failed promise, we remain to be autonomy advocates because self-governance is the only means that the region will be able to flourish in various aspects of development,” Ngao-I stressed.
He said the CPLA-CBA will continue to be one of the major partners of government in the clamor towards the realization of autonomy in the Cordillera even if the group is disappointed over the sudden closure of the Mount Data peace agreement which was done without the proper consultations with the autonomy advocates and to those who were instrumental in the signing of the historic peace agreement, saying that peace will continue to reign in the Cordillera with autonomy as one of its guideposts in the quest for development and the improvement of the living condition of the people in the remote villages.
Ngao-I cited the government never gave back what is due for the Cordillera after it was able to enrich a number of Manila-based local governments that serve as the central office of renewable power and mining companies that exploit, develop and utilize the region’s rich natural resources through the years, thus, autonomy has been identified as the primordial solution in addressing such injustices committed to the region because Cordillerans will have a chance to administer the affairs of the region with lesser restraint from outside forces, particularly the national government.
Bon-as and Abbacan have been reportedly prodding the CPLA-CBA to continuously make the appropriate representations with the government through the political leaders to bring to the attention of President Benigno Simeon C. Aquino III the importance of achieving the aspiration of the Cordillerans for self-governance but it seems the Palace does not have any intention of considering the plight of the people to grant the clamor for self-rule.
He appealed to the younger generation of Cordillerans to value the gains of the armed struggle by continuously advocating for autonomy until national officials will be convinced to make it a priority administration measure.
Ngao-I cited House Bill 4649 which was filed by all seven Cordillera congressmen and now pending before the House committee on local government reflects the clamor of the people for self-rule.
According to him, the contents of the autonomy bill has been the product of numerous grassroots consultations around the region over the past several years prior to the filing of the said bill that is why its contents will reflect the plight of the people on what will be devolved to the regional autonomous government once the same will be put in place.
Ngao-I added the CPLA-CBA will continue to participate in the upcoming series of consultations to be undertaken by the House committee on local government relative to the said bill to inform lawmakers that they are really inclined to work for the realization of autonomy in the region.
By Dexter A. See
