Kalinga folks renounce vengeance in kin’s slay

By Peter A. Balocnit

TABUK CITY, Kalinga-- Officials, religious leaders and constituents of the province lauded the declaration of the Mangali tribe discarding revenge as a way of obtaining justice over the recent killing of a tribe member.

The Mangali tribe of Tanudan said they were allowing the justice system to take its course on the murder of Samuel Luminang on Jan. 17 allegedly by assailants belonging to the Lubo tribe, also of the same municipality.

Gov. JocelBaac, upon learning of the “No to revenge; peacepact intact,” decision of the Mangali said, “This is a breakthrough from the old practice of killing anyone from the other tribe to avenge the death of a relative or tribe member.”

He said “It’s time to bury this outdated practice and instead recognize and utilize the judicial process in our quest for justice.”

Bishop PrudencioAndaya of the Apostolic Vicariate of Tabuk said the action of the Mangali is a Christian and civilized attitude.“Dayawek unay dakayo nga tagaMangali ti naKristiyanuan ken nalinteg nga panpanunut yo. Madiyo ti tribal war ta idalan yo ti hustisya. Sapay kuma ta dakayo ti pagbasaran t idadduma nga ili,” Bishop Andaya said in Ilocano
dialect.

He added, “Inikkat yo ti ugali nga ti basol ni Juan ket basol ti umili.”

He said he appreciated the unprecedented decision saying “There is a change in perception on thetreatment of tribal related incidents that innocent ‘binodngan’ (subjects of the peacepact)members have to be spared from this unchristian (vengeance) practice.

He said the Catholic Church will include in mass homilies the Christian decision of theMangali tribe for others to emulate.

By this example, the whole system – government andpeople must be in solidarity to fight tribal atrocities, he said in an interview.

“It has opened a big door in our quest for peace and development among binodngan people inKalinga,” he said. “This is not only a fight of the Mangali tribe but an obligation for allof us to stop avenging on innocent others the sin of one.”

A day after the murder of Luminang, Baac convened the Provincial Peace and Order Counciland formed a special committee on tribal conflict chaired by Engr. Andres Ngao-I oftheKalingaBodong Council.

PPOC Resolution No. 01-2012 approved on January 18 named Pastor Luis Ao-as, Bishop PrudencioAndaya, Bishop Renato Abibico, Mayor James Edduba, MayorFerdinandTubban, Councilor Francisco Bulwayan and BasilioAwingan Jr., peacepact holders ofMangali and Lubo, respectively as members.

The special committee urged texters to stop spreading irresponsible and false messagesthat might trigger the conflict.

It urged both sub-tribes to help each other and respect the legal process of seeking justice.