CPLA leaders oust Molina; elect Humiding chairman

By Larry Madarang

BAGUIO CITY-- Losing confidence in the leadership of Mailed Molina, the high command of the Cordillera People’s Liberation Army has elected a new leader in a command conference held last week.

Members of the Lumbaya Company, Moro and Dido Companies in Kalinga, the different zone commanders and members of the CPLA high command ousted Molina on Nov. 4 in Kalinga.

A manifesto declaring their loss of confidence in the leadership of Molina was signed by the different zone commands of the CPLA Oct. 22.

The CPLA installed Arsenio Humiding as interim chairman and Patrick Ngis-eban as political director.

A CPLA Panel was also created composed of Leonardo Bun-as, Tirso Iwangga, Miguel Assud, Randy Banganan and Arsenio Humiding to negotiate the continuing integration of the CPLA into the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

Newly-elected Cordillera Bodong Administration President, Andres Ngao-i, the political arm of CPLA upheld the decision for loss of confidence and expressed optimism on the internal cleansing and reforms within CPLA as a new development in the region’s quest for regional autonomy.

Humiding during the plenum vowed to rekindle the principles for which the organization was created – collective decision-making, pro-people and pro-environment development policies and programs, active participation in the movement for self-determination, and ensuring the continuing operationalization of the Peace Agreement entered between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the CPLA.

The command conference also approved a position paper requesting President Arroyo to approve the integration of 48 CPLA cadres into the Armed Forces of the Philippines pursuant to provisions of Administrative Order 18, which was signed by the President in 2001.

The officers likewise informed all government agencies, non-government organizations, foundations and groups, and peace partners – Dept. of National Defense, Armed Forces of the Philippines and Philippine National Police to maintain proper coordination with this new set of officers.

Any activities entered into by Molina are not sanctioned by the organization but on his personal capacity they added.