BOLINEY, Abra – The Cordillera Bodong Administration-Cordillera People’s Liberation Army (CBA-CPLA) has called upon President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to hasten the long-awaited demand for Cordillera autonomy and transfer the 1986 peace agreement to the Marcos administration during their recent gathering in Boliney, Abra, on July 4.
The group, led by CPLA Chairman and Boliney Mayor Ronald Balao-as, alongside CBA President Henry Tan, CPLA zone commanders, and officials, convened to present their appeals, which include the urgency for Cordillera autonomy, the revival of their CBA organization, and the official transfer of the 1986 peace accord, known as the ‘Mt. Data Sipat’ to the Marcos administration through a ritual called ‘Galigad.’
According to the group, their appeals will further strengthen peace and unity among Cordillerans.
In his direct message to the president, Tan outlined his request, saying, “Hinihingi po naming CBA-CPLA sa pamahalaang Marcos na ituloy natin ang usaping pangkapayapaan dito sa Cordillera. Hinihingi ko rin na i-renew natin ang peace pact upang sa gayon ay magkakaroon ng katahimikan, kapayapaan, at progreso dito sa Cordillera.”
“Hinihingi ko din po na i-certify niyo pong urgent ang House Bill 3267 para po magkaroon na kami ng totoong autonomiya dito sa Cordillera at sa huli, i-reactivate niyo ang Cordillera Bodong Administration dahil ito po ay isang solusyon na magbibigay ng kapayapaan at pagpapalaganap ng aming kultura dito sa Cordillera at i-renew po natin ang usaping pangkapayapaan sa pamamagitan ng pagpirma at paggawa ng isang kasunduan sa lalong madaling panahon,” Tan added.
For the conduct of the ‘Galigad,’ the group has written a letter to the Department of Defense Secretary Atty. Gilberto C. Teodoro Jr., through the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity (OPAPRU), to perform the traditional ritual to transfer the obligations and commitments outlined in the Mt. Data Peace Agreement between the Government of the Philippines and the CBA-CPLA to the new presidential administration of Marcos.
The group is hopeful that their voices will be heard, as they have grown stronger and remain steadfast in their commitment to upholding their role to guard the peace and foster traditions in the cultural context of the region.
The CBA-CPLA is a Cordillera coalition consisting of two groups that were instrumental in the conversion of the region into the Cordillera Administrative Region. It is remembered that the group led the signing of the 1986 Mt. Data Peace Accord or Sipat (Cessation of Hostilities) with the government, resulting in President Corazon Aquino’s issuance of Executive Order No. 220, s. 1987, which created the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR).
The CBA comprises village elders and leaders who offer socio-political guidance, while the CPLA is a former armed group led by Fr. Conrado Balweg which broke away from the CPP-NPA to prioritize the self-determination of the Cordillera people and the preservation of their traditional lifeways.
