Mt Prov, Kalinga task force to nab Bontoc teen’s killers

By Peter Balocnit

BONTOC, Mountain Province -- A task force composed of members of provincial police offices of Kalinga and Mountain Province and municipal police forces of Tinglayan and Bontoc will be created to arrest the suspect on the stabbing to death of  a 15-year-old boy  in this capital town last month which fueled protest actions here.

This was agreed during recent peace dialogue here among officials from Kalinga led by Vice Gov. Allen Jesse CapuaynMangaoang and Tinglayan Mayor Johnny Maymaya  andBontoc Mayor Franklin Odsey and his people to  help police apprehend the  suspect from Basao, Tinglayan, Kalinga in the killing of John Crisostomo of Bontoc. 

According to police report, the stabbing incident happened at around 6:55 p.m. of April 10 at WacletMi-ing building at SitioFoyayeng here at Bontoc Ili.

Days before the dialogue, people from Bontoc barricaded the national road near the capital town barring people from Kalinga to enter Bontoc in protest against the murder of Crisostomo and seeking justice for his death.

During the dialogue, the aggrieved participants demanded Kalinga delegates to surrender the suspect within five days after the issuance of the warrant of arrest. They threatened to drive out Kalinga students in Bontoc after summer classes if this would not be done.

However, Fr. Jose Pic-it, spokesperson of Kalinga delegates, told their counterpart that they could not commit to produce the suspect within the time frame but assured to help law enforcers in their best efforts to bring the suspect to court.  

The dialogue pushed through after barangay officials from four central barangays of this town wanted to prevent vehicles and people coming from Tinglayan in entering this town.

Barangay officials and concerned residents from Caluttit, Samoki, Bontoc Ili, and Poblacion took shifts at SitioKhessat, Caluttit to check people coming from Tinglayan.

Tinglayanfolks coming to this town complained said action included all people of the Kalinga town when in fact only people of Basao, a barangay in Tinglayan, should be subjects of community action.

This development was a result of pent up emotions of the Bontoc people for misdeeds and wrongdoings reportedly perpetrated by Basao folks against the former in the past.

Police reported eight criminal incidents in the past that until now found no justice.

The recent stabbing incident caused anuproar from the community denouncing the barbaric act inflicted on a very young boy by a man who turned out to be from Basao.

On April 10, 2015, minor Bryden Faniswa Crisostomo, 13 and resident of Fatayan, Bontoc Ili, Bontoc, was stabbed to death by one Saldy Alinung Dalug of Basao, who has since escaped to his hometown and presently remains free.

The incident brought back memories of eight criminal acts reported by the police to have been perpetrated by people from Basao.

The stabbing incident infuriated local people to condemn the seemingly never ending saga of the Basao folks in committing criminal acts in the town.

Boarding houses in the town have been cautioned and urged to terminate all agreements or lease given to residents of Basao, not to allow them to stay in the town any longer.

Tension erupted among Tinglayan people who were of good behavior but nevertheless now being implicated for wrongdoings.

On May 4, 2015, a case was filed before the prosecutor’s office on the case  and was docketed under NPS Docket No. 1-07-INV-ISE-00045.

On the same day, officials from the four central barangays barred vehicles and people from Tinglayan to enter the capital town. It was learned that this action was to force the officials and people of Basao to cause the surrender of the suspect.

On May 6, officials from Kalinga led by Mangaoang, who traces his roots in Sagada, Maymaya  and other municipal officials had a dialogue with the municipal and barangay officials of Bontoc led by Mayor Odsey at the Multi-purpose building hall here in a bid to deter the tensions from escalating.

During the lengthy discussion, the Bontok tribe demanded the arrest or surrender of the suspect with the help of the local officials of Tinglayan, Kalinga.

They agreed that  moratorium be done on the conduct of spot check of passengers from Tinglayan by the Bontoc people for as long as the officials of Tinglayan will fully support the police to arrest the suspect in five days after the issuance of the arrest warrant which is yet to be issued.

If the suspect will not yet be arrested despite the issuance of the arrest warrant, the people of Bontoc will resume the spot check of passengers with the intention of not allowing the entry of people from Basao to the town.

According to a reliable source, the community action will resume after May 25, to prevent entry of the vehicles and

people from Tinglayan to the capital town of Bontoc if the suspect is not arrested by that date.

“Those who will be negatively affected here are the students studying here and those employed in the town”, said a barangay official.

Back home in Tabuk City, Kalinga, Mangaoang conferred with Gov. Joce lBaac for the creation of the joint task force and corresponding issuance of an executive order. – With a report from Roger Sacyaten