TABUK CITY, Kalinga – Gov. James Edduba believes that there is an impending breakthrough in the Betwagan-Butbut tribal conflict that will lead to the realization of lasting peace between the feuding tribes in the future.
Edduba, who recently convened the Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC), stated that the members discussed initial strategies on how to move forward for the resumption of the peace talks between the 2 conflicting tribes so that a possible ‘win-win’ solution could be reached in the coming months.
He disclosed that the PPOC members are simply awaiting the date that will be set for them to make a visit to Tinglayan town to extensively discuss the agreed strategies on how to move forward on the stalled negotiations to achieve lasting peace in the disputed area.
The governor pointed out that it is important at this point for the eldest of the Butbut Tribe to agree on the proposed resumption of the peace talks so that the POC can send its emissary to the Betwagan Tribe to present whatever agreed strategies on how to bring back the elders of both tribes to the negotiating table to freely discuss possible solutions to the tribal dispute.
According to him, there is no need to rush things on the sensitive matter to avoid the situation from escalating once this is mishandled, thus why every move should have to pass through stringent evaluation and assessment to prevent possible complications in the future.
Last July 1, 2022 during the kick off program of the 35th founding anniversary of the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) held in Sagada, Mountain Province, Edduba personally attended the same to take the opportunity to personally talk to Mountain Province Gov. Bonifacio C. Lacwasan, Jr. and inform him of his desire to peacefully settle the conflict between the two tribes possibly within their term.
Initially, Lacwasan brought to the attention of Edduba the proposed condition of the Betwagan Tribe for the members of the Butbut tribe to move out all their animals in the disputed area before they will accept the offer for the proposed exchange of peace tokens that will signal the start of the negotiations.
He claimed that the members of the Betwagan Tribe will also be pulling out their animals in the disputed area to show their sincerity and commitment to the realization of peace in the area through the culturally accepted mode of settlement.
The Betwagan-Butbut tribal conflict is the only remaining dispute of tribes in the region that is yet to be settled by the concerned authorities through various means to ensure the reign of law and order in the region.
The Betwagan Tribe is based in Barangay Sadanga, Mountain Province while the Butbut Tribe is based in 5 barangays of Tinglayan, Kalinga.
Edduba is serving his first term as the governor of Kalinga while Lacwasan is serving his second term as governor of Mountain Province.