Kalinga tribal war spill- over in Baguio feared; elders broker peace

By Dexter A. See 

BAGUIO CITY – A tribal war between two tribes in Kalinga is feared to spill over in this summer capital wherein protagonists could kill or harm each other.

Following this, tribal elders from various tribes in Kalinga met and agreed to spare the city escalation of tribal war between the Tulgao and Lubo tribes to this city.

Earlier, two members of the Tulgao tribe allegedly shot to death a farmer and seriously wounded his brother of Lubo tribe in front of a store at Purok 4, Bulanao City, Tabuk City night of July 1 which started hostilities.

Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan urged Kalinga elders to police their own ranks by making sure that no one among them  residing in the city will tolerate attempts by the aggrieved tribesmen to retaliate against innocent members of other tribes  residing in the summer capital that will affect peace and order.

“We are grateful to our brothers and sisters from the different tribes in Kalinga for heeding our call to sustain the declaration of Baguio and Benguet as a peace zone because we do not want the unnecessary disruption of the prevailing peace and order situation in the city. We commend their desire for the maintenance of peace and order in the city so that their employment and their studies will not be affected by whatever violent actions of their fellow tribe members,” Domogan said.

He said in 1993, Kalinga tribal elders and city and provincial officials of Baguio and Benguet signed an agreement declaring the two localities as peace zones in the region, thus, whatever hostilities triggered by tribal wars in Kalinga should not spill over in the city and the province and that professionals and students belonging to feuding tribes should be spared from the said conflicts to allow them to pursue their sources of livelihood and studies without unduly being interrupted by the said tribal wars.

Kalinga tribal elders who visited Mayor Domogan Monday night committed to take the lead in informing their fellow tribe members to refrain from being involved in whatever violent activities to retaliate what happened in Tabuk City so  peace and order in the city will prevail.

Domogan said it is important one of the suspects allegedly voluntarily surrendered to Kalinga Gov. Jocel C. Baac while police are currently conducting a manhunt operation against the other suspect  for them to answer and suffer  consequences of their criminal act that resulted to the loss of an innocent life of a member of another tribe.

He urged the members of the aggrieved tribe to observe sobriety and calmness in dealing with what happened and allow the wheels of justice to move while those members of the tribe who committed the criminal act should extend assistance to  law enforcers in locating the whereabouts of the suspect to prevent escalation of violence between the two tribes that will again taint a bad image for the Cordillera.