Another try for Cordillera autonomy?

EDITORIAL

Media reports surfaced after President Aquino delivered his State of the Nation Address saying Igorot people were disappointment for his not mentioning proposed autonomy for the Cordillera Administrative Region.

The reports said many Cordillerans said their bid to establish their own regional identity deserves the same attention being given to the Bangsamoro region, but that pursuit seems far from the President’s priorities in his last year in Malacañang.

In Baguio, Mayor Mauricio Domogan, an autonomy advocate, said he did not expect much from the President since he had been silent about the issue on Cordillera’s quest for autonomy even in his past SONAs.

Domogan said much priority had been given by the national government to the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) and “none at all for the Cordillera.”

“Cordillera deserves the same privileges being accorded to Bangsamoro as both regions were specified for autonomous status as per Section 10 of the 1986 Philippine Constitution. It’s a Constitutional mandate but as it is, they are giving so much importance to the BBL but not a word for the Cordillera,” he said.

The mayor said the national government’s indifference toward Cordilleran autonomy may be attributed to the failure of the leaders and residents to show unity in attaining the goal.

Domogan said that for lack of time, they have moved the timetable for pursuing autonomy to 2019.He said it was proposed that a team be formed to lead an honest-to-goodness advocacy campaign in the grassroots.

Domogan headed the Third Autonomy Act Drafting Committee that crafted the content of the act as basis of the bills filed by former Rep. Bernardo Vergara and present Baguio Rep. Nicasio Aliping.

He said he sought support from President Aquino to certify as urgent the said bills, but sadly, to no avail.

Some media outfits, to hype their articles on autonomy, said “many Cordillerans wanted autonomy” for the Cordillera. But if we were to base from the non-ratification of the two organic Acts proposed to the region in a plebiscite, this was not the case as both Acts were rejected by the people.

Nowadays, even cause-oriented groups are not that vocal in moves to make the region autonomous. The creation of a Cordillera Autonomous Region is provided for in the Philippine Constitution. Ultimately, it will be constituents of the Cordillera who would decide if they would want the region autonomous.

Meanwhile, the government through the Regional Development Council and local government units could enhance information dissemination and consultation drives to make the people more aware of the issue.