TABUK CITY, Kalinga β The provincial government recently projected the possible resolution of the conflict between the Butbut Tribe of Tinglayan town and its neighboring Betwagan Tribe of Sadanga, Mountain Province.
Gov. James Edduba stated it might be a matter of time before the conflict will be resolved by both parties because of their potential realizations due to the ongoing ceasefire initiated by concerned local officials.
He disclosed that both parties are simply waiting for the right time when elders of both tribes will be talking to their respective local officials for them to make the appropriate representations with their counterparts for the possible settlement of the long-standing conflict.
The governor added that it is good that provincial and municipal officials have direct contacts with each other and are able to talk things over, especially in case there are untoward incidents that might transpire in the conflict area that might escalate the conflict.
He commended the elders and members of both tribes for their ability to sustain the ceasefire which was agreed upon several months ago.
According to him, the time that had passed is an indication that both tribes are simply awaiting for the proper timing to approach their respective local officials to inform them they are ready to talk things over with their counterparts to achieve lasting peace in the said communities.
The conflict between the two tribes emanated from a boundary dispute in one of the forested mountains bounding their places that eventually escalated into skirmishes within the said area until the agreed ceasefire several months ago.
The Betwagan Tribe belongs to the Betwagan barangay in Sadanga while the Butbut Tribe inhabits some 5 barangays in Tinglayan town.
Last July 1, 20232, Edubba personally sacrificed his valuable time during the turnover of responsibilities of the new set of elected officials to attend the kick off ceremony of the 35th founding anniversary of the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) to bring the message to his counterpart Gov. Bonifacio C. Lacwasan, Jr. that the people of Kalinga want to have peace with the people of Mountain Province through the settlement of the BetwaganβButbut tribal conflict.
A series of engagements between the two provincial officials and the concerned municipal officials of the two municipalities transpired over the past several months after the agreed ceasefire to discuss on how to start confidence-building measures leading to the striking of a peace pact between the feuding tribes.
Betwagan is the last barangay of Sadanga, Mountain Province situated along the stretch of the Bontoc-Tabuk Road while Tinglayan is the first town of Kalinga that will be reached after passing through Sadanga coming from Mountain Province and en route to Tabuk City via the same road.
Edduba is serving his first term as the provinceβs local chief executive following the recently concluded May 9, 2022 synchronized national and local elections.