BAGUIO CITY – Presidential Peace Adviser Jesus Dureza confirmed that President Rodrigo R. Duterte gave the ‘green light’ for him to arrange a meeting between the Chief Executive and Cordillera leaders to discuss the prospects for the establishment of an autonomous region towards the administration’s planned shift from the current presidential to federal form of government.
Dureza, who vowed to champion Cordillera autonomy and bring the Cordillera leaders closer to the President, said President Duterte was receptive to having a meeting with Cordillera leaders regarding the region’s renewed quest for autonomy, citing the importance of the establishing an autonomous region in the Cordillera during the President’s term.
“We are already ironing out the details of the scheduled meeting between the President and Cordillera leaders which can happen the soonest. We want to get the commitment of the President that he will certify the proposed autonomy law as an urgent administration measure, together with that of the Bangsamoro Basic Law, which is being readied for filing,” Dureza stressed.
During his visit in Mount Data, Bauko, Mountain Province last April 24, 2017 for the get-together of pioneer autonomy advocates, Secretary Dureza sent a message to President Duterte about the overwhelming desire of Cordillera leaders and other autonomy advocates to meet with the Chief Executive to get his commitment of support through his coveted certification of House Bill (HB) 5343 filed by all the Cordillera congressmen proposing for the establishment of an autonomous region in the Cordillera.
Milagros A. Rimando, regional director of the Cordillera office of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA-CAR) and vice chairperson of the Cordillera Regional Development Council (RDC-CAR), expressed the RDC-CAR’s gratitude to Secretary Dureza for his timely and prompt action on the request of Cordillera leaders for an audience with the President, saying that RDC-CAR officials are keeping their fingers crossed for the positive outcome of their meeting with the President.
“We were surprised at how fast things went since our meeting in Mount Data that is why we are busy preparing for the scheduled meeting with the President. We remain optimistic that our meeting will be fruitful and we will be able to get his certification that the proposed autonomy bill is an urgent administration measure,” Rimando added.
Last March 20, 2017, the seven Cordillera congressmen filed HB 5343 that seeks to establish an autonomous region in the Cordillera after Secretary Dureza rallied concerned sectors in the region to unite in support of the RDC-CAR’s renewed quest for autonomy as it is now the last chance for the Cordillera to clamor for autonomy.
By HENT
