Catch suspect before talks, victim’s father demands

By Gina Dizon  

BONTOC, Mountain Province --  Policeman Ceasar Sawad, father of  victim  Bontoc teener Kenneth  Sawad wants the suspect Leslie  BiyogAlicog of  Balatoc, Pasil, Kalinga caught and presented  before any settlement  be  done.

This, noting Lubuagan peace pact holder and  former Kalinga governor MacarioDuguiang’s statement  that  the family of the victim shall be the one to decide on said case and not by peace pact holders taking the lead,  during the Sept. 5 talks attended by immediate family and relatives of  Kenneth Sawad,  

Balatoc peace pact holder and elders from  Pasil, elders-peace pact holders from  Bontoc,  and members of the  LGU-formed  Kenneth Sawad  Task Force of  Pasil, Kalinga.  

Kenneth Sawad, 17, was  found dead  March 21  last year  at  a shallow grave in SitioBiyog,  BatongBuhay, Pasil. Sawad, a fourth high school student of Pasil National High School, traces his  roots from Bontoc, Mountain Province  and Balbalan, Kalinga.

Peace pact  holder and elder of  Bontoc Alfonso Kiat-ong  said  Bontoc’spractise in settling  injury and death related cases is the presence of  the suspect  before  any settlement  is done.

Apparent misunderstanding on what are supposed to be clear demands and process  from  peace facilitators of both  Pasil, Kalinga and  Bontoc, Mountain Province drew an apologetic Pasil Mayor  James Edduba who  chairs  the Task Force Kenneth Sawad  noting their lack of  knowledge on  Bontoc’s  culture.  

He said Kalinga’s practice  may enter into  settlement  facilitated by peace pact holders  upon talks with immediate  family or relatives of  the deceased or injured without  necessarily the  presence of  suspect.   

Earlier talks  May 15 between  elders of  Pasil and Bontoc  and Pasil’s  Task Force Kenneth Sawad  noted  questions on  where the  settlement venue shall be  with the demand of Bontoc elders that  the venue  be held in  this municipality;  and the presence of the  peace pact holder of Balatoc in next talks.  

Said task force formed  June  2011  by the  LGU of  Pasil  deployed  policemen in Balatoc  aided by  some members of the  Philippine Army  and  elders from neutral tribe-barangays  to detain the  suspect in the suspect's homeplace in Balatoc. A three-month deployment however yielded negative  effects with the suspect still scot free despite efforts to capture the  suspect.  

Negative  efforts  turned to moves on settlement  following  talks with  immediate family and relatives from  Bontoc and  Balbalan, Kalinga, the latter having accepted Balatoc’s settlement to keep the peace  while resolution is on the process. Elder-members   Ampilis  Sugguiyao of Balenciagao, Harry Lunggawis of  Kagaluan, Jaime Guyang of Colayo and Agabat Paal of Guinaang of said Task Force aided in trying to capture the suspect and  conducted talks with immediate  families of both victim and suspect in Balatoc and  Balbalan.

The Task Force being an independent  body tasked to  keep peace and prevent any violence between tribes while  resolution of the case is on-going does not prevent  the police  from doing its job to catch the suspect. Murder charges was earlier  filed against  Alicog. 

Following the September  5 talks,  Edduba said the Task Force shall  continue to aid the police in  capturing  the suspect.

Sagada Vice  Mayor Richard  Yodong who happened to attend said talks is hopeful that  Police Regional Office-Cordillera  director Chief Supt.Benjamin Magalong shall deploy non-Balatoc  tribe policemen to catch the  suspect.