BAGUIO CITY – Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan revealed that the Regional Development Council (RDC) and the Regional Peace and Order Council (RPOC) in the Cordillera will discuss the issues on the alleged misuse of the name of President Rodrigo R. Duterte and his political group by some enterprising individuals to advocate for federalism which is contrary to the on-going efforts for autonomy towards federalism.
The local chief executive said that both regional bodies will make a definite stand against those who continue to misuse the President’s name and forward the same to the Office of the President for the Chief Executive to institute the appropriate actions against whose who continuously misinform and mislead the people of the region in the thrust that the Cordillera must undertake vis-à-vis the administration’s advocacy on federalism.
“We were able to make it clear with the President during our meeting in Malacañang last year that what the Cordillera wants is autonomy towards federalism and he was able to get our message across. What we do not want right now is there are certain self-styled individuals claiming to be allies of the President who are now distorting our direction by organizing alleged Palace-sanctioned events in the different parts of the region in the guise of federalism which is contrary to our agreed direction,” Domogan stressed.
He claimed having received an invitation from Jude Wal and Daisy Lee requiring his presence during a program last May at the Wangal sports complex and requiring the local government to send a delegation to the said event because the President will be attending the pro-federalism program.
However, when he verified the matter with the Office of the President, he was informed that the President will not be attending the said program that is why he also begged off from attending the said activity and sending a delegation from the city.
Domogan admitted he received reports from the different parts of the region that the said individuals representing themselves as members of the Mayor Rodrigo Roa Duterte (MRRD) group have been trying to organize similar events in the various remote areas and allegedly making false promises of enlistment to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) once the region will become a separate federal state and employment once the disbanded Cordillera bodies, the Cordillera Executive Board (CEB), the Cordillera Regional Assembly (CRA) and the Cordillera Bodong Administration (CBA), will be revived by no less than the President.
According to him, it is high time that the RDC and RPOC make a definite stand on the matter and make a comprehensive report to the Office of the President to inform him about the questionable activities being organized by his supposed allies in the region contrary to what has been agreed upon which is autonomy towards federalism that is also aligned with the President’s advocacy on the decentralization of powers and resources.
He expressed optimism that representatives from the Presidential Management Staff (PMS) will be attending the scheduled joint RPOC RDC meeting in Lagawe, Ifugao on June 18, 2018 so that the matter will be immediately forwarded to the President for information and further needed action.
By Dexter A. See
