EDITORIAL

Provincial police commands of Kalinga and Apayao should not revert to Region 2

Philippine National Police chief Oscar Calderon must not have been appraised by his advisers that the Cordillera was formed under a special law and as such could not be “dismembered” in terms of territorial command.

Calderon had issued an order transferring the management and supervision of the provincial offices of Kalinga and Apayao to Cagayan Valley Region effective Aug. 30 citing proximity in management as reason.

This made Cordillera leaders composed of governors, congressmen and autonomy advocates oppose the move saying the PNP chief failed to consider politico-legal, socio- cultural and economic considerations before issuing the order.

Calderon must not have been told that Executive Order 220 creating the Cordillera Administrative region was issued under the then freedom constitution and that made it a regular law which could not be amended by another executive order but required congressional amendment.

Under EO 220, the CAR was created on July 15, 1987 as a step towards the attainment of regional autonomy. AS a result of the EO, the provinces of Abra, Benguet including Baguio City, and Mountain Province were culled out from region I or Ilocos region while the provinces of Ifugao, Kalinga and Apayao came from region II or Cagayan Valley region.

On October 23, 1989, Congress indeed enacted Republic Act 6766 or the Organic Act creating the Cordillera Autonomous Region. But on January 30, 1990, the OA was rejected in a plebiscite except Ifugao. A similar Organic Act RA 8438 was again rejected in March 1998 except for Apayao province. The Supreme Court decided that one province could not constitute an autonomous region thus the region remained as an administrative region.

Until now, the region is “administrative.” Returning the provincial police commands of Kalinga and Apayao to Region 2 would be a step back in the attainment of regional autonomy if residents indeed are still clamoring for it.

If proximity management was cited as reason for the two provinces to be under the police command of Region 2, this is not needed. A good and competent police director in the Cordillera could have a good peace and order program even if he is directing from Camp Dangwa, Benguet.

It is now in the hands of regional police director Chief Supt. Eugene Martin to show to Calderon that he could do it, being a native Cordilleran as he has the support of Cordillera officials to include congressmen, governors and line agency heads.

Having the Cagayan Valley regional police chief direct how peace and order programs should be done in the Cordillera is a step backward. Kalinga and Apayao are not part of Region 2. Period.