Kalinga peace pact leader dies

By Vince Jacob Visaya

TABUK CITY -- Peace pact leader and retired church pastor Luis Ao-as died due to lingering illnesses on Jan. 23, at the age of 73, his relatives and friends said.
    He died here at the Almora General Hospital where he was confined due to pneumonia and arthritis.
    A retired pastor of the Lutheran Church in the Philippines, he was assigned at the Grace Lutheran Church in Tabuk City and also worked as supervising pastor of the Lutheran congregations in Apayao Province.
    A friendly, humble, and industrious leader and pastor, he had been described as a visionary leader at the Kalinga-Apayao Religious Sector (Karsa) and the Kalinga Anti-Pollution Action Group (Kapag).
    Through Ao-as as chair, Kapag had managed to force the closure of Bontoc open dumpsite in 2013, ending decades-old row between Kalinga and Mountain Province.
    As a pastor, Ao-as was involved in socio-cultural affairs and peace pacts of various tribes in Kalinga until his death, according to lawyer Errol Comafay.
    “He is an advocate of peace. He had always used his influence to encourage the local governments to mediate in tribal conflicts,” Comafay said.
    Ao-as obtained a Bachelor of Divinity from Lutheran Theological Seminary and finished AB English at the University of Baguio.

He is survived by his wife, Vicki, and their four children.