‘Kidnapped children’

HAPPY WEEKEND
Gina Dizon

SAGADA, Mountain Province -- “Message from Lagawe- A green and white van came here and almost kidnapped a kinder pupil. This is a new syndicate for kidnapping children to sell their organs; 4 already missing in Lamut. Please pass if you care to save lives.”

Text messages passed from one cell phone to another and the unconfirmed message announced in a radio station based here alarmed people. Teachers who got hold of the text message and heard of the radio announcement informed school children of the alleged kidnapping which apparently became a “fact.”

And before the contents of the alarming text message and publicly announced shall continue to be believed, we say, such is not true.
Police Insp. Benedict Del-ong of Sagada said there is no truth to the text message about the alleged kidnpapping. Del-ong, in an interview said coordination with Ifugao police stations yielded negative findings.

There was no kidnapping related to taking of children and internal organs which happened in Lamut, nor any attempted kidnapping which happened in Lagawe, Del-ong said. Should there have been any incident, then people who had missing children should have reported to the police assigned in their areas, he added.

We came to find contents of the text message had been noted in other parts of the country and police had been correcting the hoax and false information through the media that there were such incidents that happened. Nevertheless, Del-ong reminded children to exercise due care in talking with strangers.

Principal Patrick Pooten of Bangaan National High School in his Saturday program in the local radio station also reminded children and youth of child trafficking and reminded them to be careful in talking with strangers, whether said circulated text message was true or not.
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The local government unit in Sagada just held consultation, August 19, with officials of 13 affected barangays in the application of the Cordillera Exploration Inc (CEXI) for a Financial and Technical Assistance Agreement (FTAA) issued last June 27 by the Mines and Geo Sciences Board of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

Barangays Antadao, Ambasing, Ankileng, Balugan, Dagdag, Demang, Kilong, Nacagang, Polacion, Suyo, Taccong, Tetep-an Norte, Tetep-an Sur of Sagada municipality are covered in said FTAA application.

Poblacion barangay captain William Baldo said mining operations in communities are a threat to the economic sustenance for the next generations. Other local officials who were present during said consultation echoed the same sentiment with the obvious affirmation of not being in favor of the application of CEXI nor to any other large mining company to enter their communities.

Barangay officials of Ambasing contested an application for an exploration permit by the same mining company two years ago.The said application for an exploration permit two years ago covered barangays Ambasing and Ankileng in Sagada; Sumadel and Duagan in Tadian; Guinzadan Sur, Guinzadan Norte, Tapapan, Lesseb, Sadsadan, Mabaay, BangnenOriente, Bangnen Proper yaBila in Bauko.

This led to the councilors of Sagada, Tadian, Bauko, and Sabangan passing a resolution contesting said application two years ago. The same barangays were also named in the FTAA application by same CEXI mining company with the inclusion of other barangays.

Other barangays in Mountain Province named in the FTAA application were found in the municipalities of Bauko, Bontoc, Tadian, Besao, Sadanga and Sagada. These barangays are Abatan, BagnenOriente, Bagnen Proper, Banao, Bila, Camatagan, Data, Guinzadan Central, Guinzadan Norte, Guinzadan Sur, Lagawa, Maba-ay, Monamon Norte, Monamun Sur, Otucan Norte, Otucan Sur, Poblacion, Sadsadan, and Tapapan of Bauko; Banguitan, Besao East, Besao West, Catengan, Kin-iway, Laylaya, Padangan, Payeo and Suquib of Besao; Alab, Balili, Bontoc Ili, Caluttit, DaLican, Gonogon, Maligcong, Mainit, Poblacion, and Tocucan of Bontoc; Baw-angan, Busa, Camatagn, Capinitan,. Namatec, Pingad, and Supang of Sabangan; barangays Belwang. Poblacion, and Sacasan of Sadanga; barangays Balintaugan, Banaao, Bantey, Batayan, Cadad-anan, Cagubatan, Duagan, Dacudac, Lenga, Lubon, Pandayan, Mabalite, Sumadel and Tue of Tadian, Mountain Province.

Said FTAA covers 77,549 hectares in 91 barangays of 12 municipalities in three provinces of Abra, Benguet and Mountain Province.

Large scale mining has always been opposed by community people of Mountain Province and officially sealed in documents through local government officials’ resolutions.