Baguio mayor swears in execs of autonomy ‘Cordillera bodies’

BAGUIO CITY – Mayor Mauricio Domogan Tuesday swore in officers of “Cordillera bodies” who professed support to Cordillera autonomy. 

Disunity was the reason the Cordillera’s bid for autonomy has failed twice, according to Mayor Mauricio Domogan.

Domogan’s remarks came after he swore in four groups last Tuesday evening, who expressed their support to help the region attain its goal for the third attempt to become autonomous.

The mayor led the oath taking or what was dubbed “sapata” (promise) to the group of the Cordillera Executive Board (CEB), led by Basilio Fongayao; Cordillera Regional Assembly (CRA), led by Dr. Peter Saguilot; Cordillera Bodong Assembly (CBA) led by Richard Kiaki and the Unified Cordillera People’s Liberation Army (CPLA), led by Mailed Molina, at the Baguio City Hall.

Before administering the oath, he said he gave the oath to the groups only because they supported the bid and has nothing to do with the individual groups’ advocacy.

In his speech, he said disunity of the organizations, especially the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) bodies, was the reason that the plebiscite attempts in 1990 and in 1998 failed.