In an effort to bring an end to a tribal conflict, Police Regional Office of Cordillera gathered the barangay officials and elders of Betwagan, Sadanga, Mountain Province and Butbut of Tinglangan, Kalinga for a peace dialogue.
The tribal conflict, already resulted to loss of lives and disruption of the social and economic lives of the people in both sides, stemmed from a boundary dispute almost two decades ago and has been recurring despite the mediation and intervention of the Municipal and Provincial Government to get the two barangays solve their boundary issue.
PBGEN R’win Sta Ana Pagkalinawan, PROCOR Regional Director, guided the peace dialogue at Kalinga Provincial Police Office, Camp Capt. Juan M Duyan in Bulanao, Tabuk City, Kalinga to end the longstanding conflict between the two tribes that started in year 2001.
Members of the PROCOR Command Group, BGEN HENRY M DOYAOEN, NOLCOM Deputy Commander, BGEN SANTIAGO ENGINCO, 503rd Brigade Commander, representatives from the DENR-CAR, NCIP-CAR, Department of Agriculture and Upper Kalinga District Engineering Office (UKDEO) witnessed the dialogue.
During the dialogue, both tribes agreed to meet on December 16 at the disputed area to reconcile and pinpoint the boundary which will be validated by the NCIP provincial Offices of Mountain Province and Kalinga.
Representing their respective tribes, Butbut elder Felix Pan-oy and Betwagan Barangay Chairman Agustin Agpawan agreed to bring 15 each of their elders and officials on the set date to settle their boundary dispute.
The Police Regional Office Cordillera has already deployed troops from the Regional Mobile Force Battalion 15 to work with the Philippine Army and serve as peace-keeping contingent at the two barangays.
PBGEN Pagkalinawan assured the full support of the Police Regional Office Cordillera in coming up with a long-term solution to the tribal conflict. (OIC Joe Manzano, RPN DZBS Baguio | PROCOR PIO)