Kalinga, MP tribes limit ‘war’ in towns

FEUDING TRIBES – Folks from Tinglayhan, Kalinga and Sadanga, Mountain Province residing in Tabuk City, ink peacepact not to let hostilities between the two tribes spill over in the city and other parts of Cordillera.     

By Peter A. Balocnit

CITY OF TABUK, Kalinga – Tribesmen of the warring Butbut and Betwagan tribes forged a peace covenant not to let hostilities spill over outside their towns like Tabuk.

Through separate resolutions, both tribes expressed their approval to the peace agreement that prohibits bringing the conflict anywhere else or outside Betwagan in Sadanga, Mountain Province and Butbut in Tinglayan, this province.

Said agreement signed August 7 at Davidson Hotel here provides for both tribes living in Tabuk City to uphold the principles of the Matagoan or "Zone of Life" and the provisions of the iTabuk Pagta, most particularly not to take revenge against or harm any from their tribe living in this city, in all provinces or city within the Cordillera Administrative Region, in the provinces of Isabela and Cagayan, and Metro Manila.

In a joint resolution signed on August 10, punong barangays of Ngibat, Butbut Proper, Loccong, Buscalan and Bugnay, expressed their support to the peace covenant for the benefit of government employees, students and farmers living outside Butbut tribe territory including those in Sadanga municipality.

The punong barangays agreed signing of the peace covenant was indication of peace process between the two parties - Butbut and Betwagan.

Ultimately, it is also to protect life of the individuals who are innocent, living outside the war zone.

Revenge or killing of person outside the declared war zone area will not help solve the boundary dispute but to commit additional criminal offense against the innocent people who have no knowledge to engage in tribal conflict.

“This is a perfect, gentlemen agreement pending the permanent peace resolution due to the same issue on boundary dispute,” the resolution stated.
On the part of the Betwagan tribe, their resolution of support to the peace covenant signed on August 14 was sealed with their prayer for the provisions to be respected and imposed in letter and spirit.

“Umili ti Betwagan ken Anabel babaen ti barangay opsiyal ket umannugot da ditoy peace covenant basta ti Matagoan Bodong Consultative Council ket tungpalen da ti akem, takder ken responsibilidad da akas negosyador ti sensiredad wenno pateg na daytoy. No man mabug-oy daytoy, dakau nga negosyador nga pinmirma ti maysa nga masingir.(The residents of Betwagan and Anabel through their barangay officials  agree to this peace covenant provided the Matagoan Bodong Consultative Council  do their  role and responsibility as  negotiator sincerely. Should this fail, the negotiators who signed in this agreement will be blamed.)

It added that Betwagan students, workers and those living in Apayao, Cagayan and Isabela, and subtribe of Betwagan living in Tabuk City are not to be included in this conflict.

The respective Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Kalinga and Mountain Province are now brokering a permanent resolution of this decades-long dispute.  -- PIA Kalinga