To end the longstanding conflict between Butbut and Betwagan which started in year 2001, PBGEN R’win Sta. Ana Pagkalinawan, the PROCOR Regional Director, hosted a peace dialogue between the two tribes yesterday at Kalinga Provincial Police Office, Camp Capt Juan M Duyan, Bulanao, Tabuk City, Kalinga.
The tribal conflict, which has already resulted to loss of lives and disruption of the social and economic lives of the people in both sides, stemmed from a boundary dispute almost two decades ago and has been recurring despite the mediation and intervention of the Municipal and Provincial Government to get the two barangays solve their boundary issue.
In an effort to bring an end to the hostilities, PROCOR gathered together the barangay officials and elders of Betwagan, Sadanga, Mountain Province and Butbut of Tinglangan, Kalinga for a peace dialogue. It was presided by PBGEN Pagkalinawan and witnessed by members of the PROCOR Command Group, BGEN Henry M. Doyaoen, NOLCOM Deputy Commander, BGEN Santiago Enginco, 503rd Brigade Commander, representatives from the DENR-CAR, NCIP-CAR, Department of Agriculture and Upper Kalinga District Engineering Office (UKDEO).
In the course of the dialogue, both tribes agreed to meet on December 16 at the disputed area to reconcile and pinpoint the boundary which will be validated by the NCIP provincial Offices of Mountain Province and Kalinga. Representing their respective tribes, Butbut elder Felix Pan-oy and Betwagan Barangay Chairman Agustin Agpawan agreed to bring 15 each of their elders and officials on the set date to settle their boundary dispute.
The Police Regional Office Cordillera has already deployed troops from the Regional Mobile Force Battalion 15 to work with the Philippine Army and serve as peace-keeping contingent at the two barangays. PBGEN Pagkalinawan in his message, assured the full support of the Police Regional Office Cordillera in coming up with a long-term solution to the tribal conflict.
