Mayor proposes ‘sapata’ to settle tribal conflict

BONTOC, Mountain Province -- Sadanga, Mountain Province Mayor Gabino P. Ganggangan, suggested “Sapata,” the indigenous way of finding out the truth, between Betwagan and Bugnay tribes to settle their conflict over their boundary which had resulted to gunfights over the years.
    Betwagan is a barangay of Sadanga while Bugnay is a barangay of Tinglayan, Kalinga. 
    Addressing representatives of the regional Commission on Indigenous Peoples, Ganggangan, urged them to get the two tribes to agree on sapata, during consultative meeting here Jan. 28 at Camp Lt Geronimo F Montes.

The consultation presided by the police deputy regional director for operations Col. John C. Chua, was attended by Betwagan tribe elders and officials, municipal officials headed by  Ganggangan, representatives from the Department of Agriculture, Local Government, Environment and Natural Resources, NCIP and 54th Infantry Battalion, 5the infantry Division, Philippine Army.

In his message, Ganggangan presented his standpoint as mayor. 

“We have to respect history,” he said, adding that the tribal boundary or the Macli-ing boundary, which was agreed and provided in their pagta (peace agreement) under the Gayudan-Tangkiao Bodong, should also serve as the final municipal boundary and provincial boundary.

During the meeting, Betwagan representatives identified elders and peace pact holders from neutral tribes who can serve as resource persons, and who will speak before an investigative body to give their unbiased account on the disputed boundary.

PROCor’s chief regional staff Col. Ramil L Saculles,  said more evidence is needed which should be independently collected by the fact-finding body, not those submitted by the conflicting tribes, to be presented to the Regional Law Enforcement Coordinating Committee (RLECC) which would be the basis for establishing the boundary.