BEHIND THE SCENES
Alfred P. Dizon
BAGUIO CITY – “Concerned
residents” of this tourist resort are now questioning acquisition of lands here
like “ancestral land” considering that it seems, Ibalois of Baguio are now
trying to assert their ancestral land rights even if these are within forest
watersheds, parks among other government and private lots.
They have applied for certificates of ancestral land
ownership awards with the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples which had
obligingly issued the CALTs. Now even the lot where the historic Casa Vallejo
stands is now owned by the Pirasos, an old Ibaloi family.
Much had been discussed on how ownership of Baguio lands
evolved “since time immemorial” so we will not venture into its intricacies.
Suffice to say, it is good development that the issue of ownership over
ancestral lands has come to fore. Now even the mandate of the NCIP is being
scrutinized like on implementation of the Indigenous People’s Rights Act and following
the case of Casa Vallejo, the NCIP central office put on hold issuance of
CALT’s in Baguio over furor from “concerned citizens.”
But even as the Ibalois are asserting their land rights,
carpet baggers, pseudo lot owners, power players and yes, even the so-called
Cordillera People’s Liberation Army are trying to take advantage of the
situation.
Now, we have Kankanaeys and dubious people who are laying
claim on these “ancestral lands.” Some powers-that-be are pulling the strings
while the CPLA (we thought they have been integrated already into government
forces or have become a non-armed group) are still around and trying to gain
adherents by playing as bodyguards ancestral land claimants.
***
Recently, a native Ibaloi clan in Baguio linked with the CPLA
in their ancestral land dispute with private realty developer Sta Lucia Realty
and Development Inc. along km 3, Asin Road.
This, even if the Criminal Investigation Detection Group
confirmed reports of CPLA men acting as bodyguards of land grabbers or were
themselves trying to amass lands for their own in Baguio.
But belying allegations that the CPLA, a militia group
that had severed ties with the New People’s Army in 1986, “occupied” the
54-hectare ancestral land being disputed by the native Ibaloi Tunged clan,
Rosita Liwan speaking in their behalf said it was the CPLA headed by Melchor
Balance alias “Ka Kawar” that brokered dialogues with the huge realty firm to
agree on a joint relocation survey of the disputed land.
The survey still has to be done even as the CPLA is still
being maligned publicly for its alleged land-grabbing activities in Baguio City
and Benguet province. Benguet Gov. Nestor Fongwan had also called attention of
top police and military officials in the Cordillera to look into allegations of
CPLA activities that are frightening people in towns of the province.
The CPLA had been splintered into different groups with
each claiming to be the “genuine” one. Now Balance, chairman of the group which
is meddling in the Sta. Lucia issue blamed “pseudo-CPLA” groups like those that
had since agreed with a “closure agreement” with government that are still
“using the name of the group for their personal interests.”
***
According to Liwan, it was their clan’s decision to close
ranks with Balance’s group so they could strengthen their claim of the disputed
54-hectare land that had been appropriated by the realty developer as
part of subdivision development.
“We have proof that it is the clan’s property as
shown by tax declarations since 1959,” she said, adding they are
holding boundary proofs with other Ibaloi land claimants which had since
sold theirs to Sta Lucia.
There are about 10 Ibaloi families under the Tunged clan
fighting it out with Sta Lucia, which agreed that a “status quo” on the
property pending a determination of the metes and bounds of each claim.
The CPLA involved with land-grabbing issues in
Baguio maybe linked, Tingguian (Abra) “Ka Kawar” said, to those still claiming
they are CPLA’s, but in fact have turned their backs on the “uniform,
identity and aspiration” for Cordillera regional autonomy.
“They are no longer CPLA because they already entered a
closure agreement with the government," he said.
Two years ago, the CPLA group led by Arsenio Humiding
entered into a closure agreement with the government through the Office of the
Presidential Assistant on the Peace Process (OPAPP and surrendered their
firearms
They had since transformed as a socio-economic group, its
leaders had claimed.
***
The present CPLA now, according to Balance, is alive and
still aspiring for regional autonomy and had since embarked on a
citizen’s initiative-fueled “autonomy caravan” consulting Cordillerans in the
grassroots if they still yearn for self-government.
The response in the provinces where they went is
tremendous, according to CPLA consultant Benedict Ballug, convenor of the
“Autonomy Movement in the Administrative Cordillera” (AMIN-TACO), meaning, “all
of us”. Now incredulous radio commentators are asking where they held
consultations if there were indeed such activities.
The CPLA, Ballug told the media, is the same autonomy
movement that dreams to craft a “tribal version” of the third Organic Act that
will establish the Cordillera Autonomous Region by the end of this
year.
“This time around, with its beginnings in the grassroots
unlike in the past, Cordillerans will say yes to it,” Ballug said.
***
True, any autonomy movement should start from the
grassroots. But then, if surveys are to be believed, now is not yet the right
time for autonomy basing from the “pulse” of the people. Now, there are
concerned sectors who are wondering where the millions released by the national
government for information drive to push autonomy had been going.
They want a detailed accounting of the funds, since
according to them, these had never been published -- and if the government is
really intent on pushing Cordillera autonomy, it has to be transparent in the
use of funds as example of good governance.
Pundits are saying if government officials cannot account
for the millions of pesos supposedly used for its autonomy advocacy programs,
what more to the billions which are
being promised should the region become autonomous?”
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