New CPLA leaders renew call for peace process talks

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet -- The new leadership of the Cordillera People’s Liberation Army has renewed its commitment to peace process talks in the Cordillera between the CPLA and government.

Led by interim chairman Arsenio Humiding together with chief of staff Leonardo Bun-as, CPLA told Office of the Presidential Assistant for Cordillera Undersecretary Thomas A. Killip about this Nov. 23.

Humiding said collective interim leadership has approved new policy directions towards the successful achievement of the CPLA’s 3-point agenda – completion of Administrative Order 18; movement for self-determination; and the implementation of a roadmap to peace and development.

But Kilip told the group “the process of internal cleansing entails honest-to-goodness assessment” saying he could help transform the CPLA as an economic force.

He urged the CPLA to go on with their advocacy and reformation activities.

Kilip lauded the group for its efforts like ridding the organization of misfits. On Oct. 22, a manifesto declaring their loss of confidence in the leadership of Mailed Molina was signed by different zone commands of the CPLA.

Humiding was selected to replace Molina as interim chairman until the CPLA congress to be held next year.

Humiding informed Kilip that 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.

According to Humiding, the CPLA is set to investigate illegal activities of Molina.

Oplan Dalus Team Leader Tirso Iwangga told Kilip that since the unification of Balweg-Molina factions, Molina did not have a clear vision and agenda for the organization and for the Cordillerans as well but an agenda for his own self-vested interests. “He totally disregarded the homegrown principle of collective decision-making,” Iwangga said.

Bun-as said the command in Kalinga had long signed a resolution declaring Molina persona non grata.

He also mentioned that sometime in 1987, the CPLA actually expelled Molina. The present declaration on loss of confidence therefore concludes the past actions of the Kalinga Command.

Members of the Abra Command, Molina’s perceived strongest ally, said that Molina hindered the organization from moving onwards.

The Abra CPLA members said, “Nagladaw kayo nga nakariing, apay nga tatta lang, ado koma naaramidan yon.” (You woke up late, you should have decided on this earlier. Your group should have done a lot).