Tribal war averted with murder case settlement

BY ROMMEL LENGWA

BONTOC, Mountain Province – A tribal war was averted between two feuding tribes after a murder case was solved here last week following indigenous settlement.

A “hearing” to settle the case was held here at the municipal plaza on Sept. 17 headed by Mayor Franklin Odsey and the council of elders of Bontoc representing “atos” of Bontoc composed of barangays Bontoc Ili, Poblacion, Caluttit, and Samoki.
This resulted to the resolution of an inter-barangay conflict between Gueday, Besao and Lias, Barlig, all of Mountain Province, arising out of the murder case.

Earlier, the murder was reported on July 13 at the Bontoc police station against suspect Leo Ateneo of Lias, Barlig by Charlene Mi-ing Addag, wife of the late victim - Sammy Addag, a native of Gueday, Besao.

Two separate meetings were previously conducted prior to the settlement attended by the elders and officials of feuding barangays, with close relatives of the suspect and the aggrieved party. No settlement was agreed upon during the two occasions.

During the third encounter and after a long and animated discussion that ended after seven hours, both parties agreed on the following conditions: The suspected party would pay the aggrieved party P250,000 as amicable settlement money and that the suspect would pay in advance P170,000 with an acknowledgement receipt.

It was also agreed that the balance of P80,00 would bee paid on or before Nov. 17 and that after full payment of the settlement money even before the due date agreed, an affidavit of desistance and other pertinent documents required by court for the dismissal of the case shall be submitted.
Officials and representatives from both parties agreed to facilitate the request for the postponement of a court arraignment scheduled on Sept. 18.

Both parties also agreed to observe indigenous rituals to formally forge a peace pact to strengthen the friendship or brotherhood of Lias and Gueday.

Tribal elders said after the full settlement of the demand of the aggrieved party, the four affected central barangays of Bontoc will later demand from Lias an additional P160,000 as penalty and in compliance with the existing memorandum of agreement of barangays Samoki, Bontoc Ili, Callutit, and Poblacion.

This penalty was embodied in the “pagta” (agreement) imposed under the “pechen” (peace pact) used by Bontoc barangays when settling cases with tribal implications.