Cordillera autonomy and the P50 million ‘missing funds’

BEHIND THE SCENES
Alfred P. Dizon

BAGUIO CITY – If regional constituents are lukewarm or don’t even give a hoot to the “adoption” of a working draft for the so-called Cordillera Third Autonomy Act, it is because it had been a “farce” all along, according to political pundits.

First and foremost, they contend, there had been no concerted information drive on the issue. They claim theree had only been two or three so-called dialogues and consultations at city hall and a few forgettable venues.

There were no advertisements in the media (except a Baguio radio station) about the issue and no public hearings were held. According to pundits, it was only in the minds of the Regional Development Council that such extensive fora were held.

A select group of “information officers” or rather propagandists tapped by the RDC have been spewing out “praise releases” on the “progress” of the autonomy campaign. But since editors knew these were hogwash, these were not usually used.

The old folks lamented there were even no pigs which were butchered for ceremonial ceremonies so people would be enticed to attend.

Now, concerned folk are calling for an accounting of the more than P50 million information fund for autonomy – how it was used and who used the moolah.

This, after the RDC, in a special meeting last Oct. 13, at AtingTahanan, Barangay South Drive here, officially adapted the working draft of a Cordillera Third Autonomy Act through RDC Resolution No. CAR-.20, s. 2011.

“The draft, though a work-in-progress, embodies the ideas and aspirations of the Cordillera for self-determination and socio-economic development in accordance with the provisions of the 1987 Philippine Constitution,” stated the RDC resolution.

The resolution endorsed the draft to the House of Representatives for consideration and asked the secretariat to “reproduce it and furnish all stakeholders also for their assessment and consideration.”

Who are these stakeholders? Concerned folk have been complaining they were never given a copy of the draft even as the RDC urged LGUs to prepare resolutions urging their congressmen to support the working draft.

The working draft is the final output of the Third Autonomy Act Drafting Committee, which the RDC formed in August 2010 with Mayor Mauricio Domogan of Baguio City elected as chairman.

References in preparing it were the two previous organic acts; purported consolidated results of consultations conducted by RDC since 2006 when it decided to renew the pursuit of regional autonomy; and consolidated results of consultations conducted through TAADC. The RDC said it also considered position papers submitted by individuals and organizations.

The next step, according to the RDC, is to submit the working draft to the House of Representatives so that a bill for a Third Cordillera Organic Act can now be passed.

Domogan previously emphasized that Congress is the only body with full authority to pass an Organic Act and that TAADC is just helping Congress pass the law and making things easier for public dissemination before a plebiscite.

An RDC press release earlier said the body is now trying to arrange a meeting with CAR congressmen through the Advisory Committee, which is composed of interested congressmen from the region and members of the RDC executive committee, for them to discuss the working draft.

Where this autonomy campaign of the RDC is headed is a question only its proponents can answer. According to our bubwit, if the RDC cannot account for the P50 million information fund, how could they even think of running the region under an autonomous setup, much more oversee its funds?