Acting Kalinga guv creates crisis committee on boundary dispute

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ACTING Kalinga Governor James Eduba has created a crisis committee to prevent further escalation of violence in the province amid the ongoing boundary dispute between the Tongrayan and Tolgao Tribes in Tinglayan.

In his report to the quarterly Regional Peace and Order and Development Council meeting in Apayao province, Eduba explained the composition of a crisis committee involving the Philippine National Police (PNP), Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), the religious sector, and neutral tribes of the province.

“After having four meetings at the brigade, the crisis committee have declared the boundary between Tongrayan and Tolgao to a cease fire with the presence of the PNP and military with all the conditions set for the two tribes to respect,” the Eduba said.

Earlier, elder leaders of the Tongrayan and Tolgao tribes passed a covenant declaring Tabuk City, Isabela and Cagayan province to be a peace zone, so the fighting will not while protecting its students and employees.

Aside from this, Baguio City, the provinces of Benguet, Mountain Province, Zambales and Manila are now identified as a peace zones through the “Sipat.”

“Another meeting with the Provincial and Municipal Peace and Order councils will be held today calling on all barangay captains of Tinglayan to help in the resolution of the case,” Eduba stated.

Edduba added all actions have been made, including the “Bodong” process, but to no avail and have asked the help of the different government institution to help solve the problem.

Bodong is a peace pact used between tribes in Kalinga.

Meanwhile, Regional Development Council (RDC) Chairman and Baguio City Mayor Mauricio Domogan reminded the council of an existing Peace Pact instituted in 1993 for all the different tribes in the region possibly involved in tribal wars.

The RDC unanimously passed a resolution supporting the practice of settlement among the tribes minus the violence.

"The moment violence arise, let the PNP and AFP come in," Domogan added.

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