Justice still eludes teen slain in Pasil

By Gina Dizon 

BONTOC, Mountain Province -- Seventeen year old Kenneth  Sawad  must be turning  in his grave.

           

No justice has yet  been served after he was found dead  found dead March 21  last year  at  a shallow grave in Sitio Biyog, Batong Buhay, Pasil.

           

He was allegedly killed by Leslie BiyogAlicog of  Balatoc, Pasil.   

           

Sawad, a fourth high school student of Pasil National High School, traces his  roots from Bontoc, Mountain Province  and Balbalan, Kalinga.  

           

The venue of settling  the case  remains an issue  between  elders of  Bontoc  and members of  Task Force  Kenneth Sawad  chaired  by mayor  James Edduba, vice mayor  Charlemagne Mosing,  councilors   Emilio Kitongan, Samuel Tayaan and elders from  the neutral barangays  namely  Ampilis  Sugguiyao of Balenciagao, Harry Lunggawis of  Kagaluan, Jaime Guyang of Colayo and AgabatPaal of Guinaang.

           

Pasil police chief Robert Balunos and a  representative of the Philippine Army are included as members in the task force.  

           

Recent talks May this year here  noted that Bontoc elders wanted the venue of the settlement to be held in  this municipality. 

           

“We shall send the message  of Bontoc elders to the concerned  persons in  Balatoc,” said Pasil councilor Tayaan, member of the task force  and  peace and order committee of the  Pasil's Sangguniang Bayan. 

           

Some members of the  Pasil  task force  met with  members of the Bontoc Council of Elders  Alfonso Kiatong,  Bontoc Vice Mayor  and  Bontoc  elder William Aspilan,  including  concerned  barangay captains of Bontoc and relatives of the slain Sawad.  

           

Aspilan who chaired the meeting aired the Bontoc  delegation’s  motion  of  settling the  case in Bontoc.

           

Kitongan who chairs the negotiating  panel of the task force  said their  recommendation for a venue of settlement shall be in  a neutral tribe which may  either be Tinglayan or Tabuk  depending  on what  parties will decide.

           

Following the  talks,  Kitongan said security  shall be  assured to the representatives from Balatoc by both the task force and Bontoc  elders and members of the PNP,  should the  Balatoc  representatives accede to  Bontoc as the venue of settlement.

           

Venue remains unknown  pending Balatoc’s response to the Bontoc elders’ motion.

           

Task force  Kenneth Sawad was formed  June of  2011 after three month operations of  trying to  capture  the suspect led to amicably settling the case.         The  work  of the task force shifted to  settlement  after failed attempts of the  Philippine Army and elements of the  Philippine National Police to capture the suspect, Kitongan said.

           

The family of the slain victim  wanted the culprit  jailed and charged in court.     

           

Balatoc  elder and  chairman of  peace and order committee of the SB of Pasil Albert Maiyao   said   Balbalan’s peace pact holders received P20,000 settlement money. 

           

“This means they accepted on  settling the case,” Maiyao said.

           

Kitongan  added that the settlement  money  will assure that Balbalan elders consent to resolve the case  and prevent  and unnecessary conflict between tribes.  The money shall be returned once  the case is resolved.

           

It was learned that the family of the slain victim  passed the case to the Bontoc elders for their  disposition.