THE Cordillera People's Liberation Army (CPLA) have asked the national government for the immediate reactivation of the Cordillera Administrative Regional (CAR) bodies which will pursue and fulfill the long standing desire for self-determination of the people of the region.
In a position paper submitted to President Rodrigo Duterte, CPLA chairman Mailed Molina informed the country’s chief executive on what the deactivation of the CAR bodies resulted to.
"The deactivation of the CAR bodies since 2000 have been a setback towards the common goal of mainstreaming and addressing the peace and development concerns of the Cordillera People which was agreed upon between the Government and the Cordillera panel," Molina explained.
In 2000, Executive Order (EO) 328 which amended EO 270 series of 2000 extended up to September of the same year the implementation of the winding up of operations of the Cordillera Executive Board, Cordillera Regional Assembly, and the Cordillera Bodong Administration as provided under the agencies special provision in the General Appropriations Act or GAA for fiscal year 2000, which further extended its winding up activity in March the following year.
The CPLA chair pointed out it is timely for these bodies to be reactivated as it will attain its establishment of the Cordillera Autonomous Region which will be synonymous to the President’s determination of changing the system of the government from a unitary form to a federal form.
The proposed reactivation of the CAR bodies composed of representatives from the various ethno-linguistic groups in the region is envisioned to operationalize the Presidents vision of federalism.
Jude Wal, former director of the Cordillera Executive Board pointed out in their position paper of the major function of the CAR bodies to prepare for the establishment of an autonomous region.
"The Regional structure as provided for under Executive Order 220 specifies the required funding support allowing the representative bodies to fully function and come up with people centered mechanisms which would chart the unique customs and traditions of the region," Wal said.
Task Force Reactivation of CAR Bodies co-convenor Conrado Dieza Jr. reiterated that the reactivation is geared towards federalism which is a result of a series of sectoral consultations and meetings in the region.
The President have been formally invited by the Task Force to be the guest of honor and speaker for the Cordillera Regional Summit scheduled for next month in Baguio City.
