BONTOC, Mountain Province – The Regional Development Council (RDC) and the Regional Peace and Order Council (RPOC) in the Cordillera unanimously approved a resolution endorsing to the central office of the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA) the creation of a separate regional office of the NICA for the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR).
The joint RDC-CAR and RPOC-CAR resolution was passed by the said bodies chaired by Baguio City Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan during the first quarter meeting held at the newly upgraded Bontoc municipal building last Tuesday.
The resolution emphasized that national security and public order are essential elements in building the foundation for inclusive growth with a high-trust and resilient society and a globally competitive economy as stipulated in the Philippine Development 2017-2022 and the Cordillera Regional Development Plan 2017-2022 among other related development plans that have been aligned for the purpose.
The resolution noted that the National Security Policy 2017-2022 declared the government’s commitment to continuously develop a national security system that is rules-based, able to effectively respond not only to security threats but also to opportunities beneficial to the national interest.
Executive Order No. 246 signed by former President Corazon C. Aquino on July 24, 1987 provided for the need to establish and maintain a mechanism under the Office of the President to serve as the focal point for the direction, coordination and integration of government activities involving intelligence and the preparation of intelligence estimates of local and foreign situations for the formulation of national polices by the President.
The resolution of the Cordillera Administrative Region through the issuance of Executive Order No. 220 by former President Aquino on July 15, 1987 when she was still exercising both executive and legislative powers under a revolutionary form of government was followed by the issuance of Administrative Order No. 36 on September 23, 1987 which provided for the establishment of regional offices in the Cordillera.
The resolution stipulated that the Cordillera is currently being served by two NICA regional offices following the old political subdivisions: NICA Region I office for Baguio city and the provinces of Abra, Benguet and Mountain Province and NICA Region II office for the provinces of Ifugao, Kalinga and Apayao.
Earlier, the NICA central office requested for the establishment of a separate regional office for the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) but the same was not approved for funding by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) for still unknown reasons.
The approved resolution will be transmitted by the RDC-CAR and RPOC-CAR to the DBM Central office for consideration and appropriation of the needed funds for the establishment of a separate NICA regional office for the Cordillera considering the long standing clamor for the creation of the NICA-CAR regional office.
By Dexter A. See
