Tabuk City, Kalinga – A clash over their contrasting manners of disposing cases of accidents is threatening to sour the relationship between this province and neighboring Mtn. Province.
The controversy puts Kalinga Congressman Manuel Agyao who is also representing Mtn. Province in Congress as caretaker due to the recent death of Congressman Victor Dominguez in an uncomfortable position.
This developed as a former ranking provincial official of Mtn. Province has called on Agyao to intervene in the resolution of the vehicular accident on September 8, 2007 in Magabbangon, Cudal, this city. The accident claimed the lives of 10 persons and wounded eight others.
Majority of the victims were Kalinga natives while the owner of the ill-fated truck, Alexander Miranda, was a native of Sabangan, Mtn. Province. He was among the fatalities.
Former Mtn. Province provincial administrator Evelyn Miranda, a sister-in-law of Alexander, is pleading with Agyao to do something about the efforts of the relatives of the fatalities and some survivors to impose the multa or indemnity on the family of Alexander.
She said that with some Kalinga professionals including several government officials taking the cudgels for them, the relatives of seven of the fatalities are demanding that the family of Alexander pay P50,000.00 for each of the victims as multa.
She said that at first, the agreement was for the family to raise P70,000.00 as assistance to the families of the fatalities but that when the money which she claimed is the only remaining resources of Lucia Miranda, the widow, was ready, the claimants and their supporters had said that it is not enough.
"They do not consider that it was an accident and that Alexander was also killed. They do not also seem to believe that the family no longer has anymore money. Actually, P50,000.00 of the P70,000.00 came from the sale of their junked truck, the only remaining property in the name of Alexander," Evelyn said qualifying that the amount is not being given as multa but as assistance to the bereaved families.
She lamented that some Kalinga professionals who are in a position to temper the claims of the victims appear instead to be in favor of the giving of indemnity.
"In Mtn. Province, we do not impose any compensation on account of accidents. We do not give a price to life. It cannot be bought or sold. Assistance, if any, is voluntary. They are saying that we have a different culture and that on the other hand, the practice of exacting the multa is part of the Kalinga culture. But our position is that bad cultural practices should be discarded. The practice of girls sleeping in the ulog and the boys sleeping in the ato used to be a part of Mtn. Province culture but that was when our houses were one-room affairs. There came a time when we realized that the practice has become impractical and no longer attuned with the times and it just disappeared. The bagbagto practice (organized tribal stone-throwing fights) vanished for the same reason," Evelyn said.
Evelyn is hoping that Agyao will look into the plight of Mtn. Province immigrants in Kalinga who she claimed are being treated as second class citizens in Kalinga for generations now.
She said that in cases where Mtn. Province immigrants were victimized by Kalingas through accidents or crimes, they were not paid the multa.
Evelyn is also intending to bring the case to the attention of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Mtn. Province.
Fr. Denver Marrero who assisted the Mirandas in the handling of the aftermath of the accident the family being members of the Anglican Church said that despite their own loss, the family attended to the needs of the other victims right away.
Marrero said that from the money of the family and solicitations, they were able to extend a total assistance of P130,000.00 which included a pig and a cavan of rice for each of the families of the dead victims and a portion of the funeral expenses.
Marrero also said that around a month after the burial of Alexander, the family hosted a meeting of the relatives of the victims and the surviving passengers wherein the latter had agreed that they will not claim the multa nor file charges.
Marrero related that sometime in November, the family was surprised when some of the relatives of the victims changed their minds. Bargaining then ensued with the family saying they could give only P70,000.00 to be equally divided among the relatives of the victims but the latter wanted P50,000.00 for each dead.
Marrero said that at one point during the June 9 negotiations, Lucia offered that since she no longer has any means of producing the amount demanded, she will just go to jail instead.
Marrero said that on that ill-fated afternoon, Alexander was on his way to his farm in Alubaggan, Calaccad, this city, and when he passed the parking area of vehicles bound for that place, the victims hitched because they missed the last trip for the day. **by Estanislao Albano, Jr.
The controversy puts Kalinga Congressman Manuel Agyao who is also representing Mtn. Province in Congress as caretaker due to the recent death of Congressman Victor Dominguez in an uncomfortable position.
This developed as a former ranking provincial official of Mtn. Province has called on Agyao to intervene in the resolution of the vehicular accident on September 8, 2007 in Magabbangon, Cudal, this city. The accident claimed the lives of 10 persons and wounded eight others.
Majority of the victims were Kalinga natives while the owner of the ill-fated truck, Alexander Miranda, was a native of Sabangan, Mtn. Province. He was among the fatalities.
Former Mtn. Province provincial administrator Evelyn Miranda, a sister-in-law of Alexander, is pleading with Agyao to do something about the efforts of the relatives of the fatalities and some survivors to impose the multa or indemnity on the family of Alexander.
She said that with some Kalinga professionals including several government officials taking the cudgels for them, the relatives of seven of the fatalities are demanding that the family of Alexander pay P50,000.00 for each of the victims as multa.
She said that at first, the agreement was for the family to raise P70,000.00 as assistance to the families of the fatalities but that when the money which she claimed is the only remaining resources of Lucia Miranda, the widow, was ready, the claimants and their supporters had said that it is not enough.
"They do not consider that it was an accident and that Alexander was also killed. They do not also seem to believe that the family no longer has anymore money. Actually, P50,000.00 of the P70,000.00 came from the sale of their junked truck, the only remaining property in the name of Alexander," Evelyn said qualifying that the amount is not being given as multa but as assistance to the bereaved families.
She lamented that some Kalinga professionals who are in a position to temper the claims of the victims appear instead to be in favor of the giving of indemnity.
"In Mtn. Province, we do not impose any compensation on account of accidents. We do not give a price to life. It cannot be bought or sold. Assistance, if any, is voluntary. They are saying that we have a different culture and that on the other hand, the practice of exacting the multa is part of the Kalinga culture. But our position is that bad cultural practices should be discarded. The practice of girls sleeping in the ulog and the boys sleeping in the ato used to be a part of Mtn. Province culture but that was when our houses were one-room affairs. There came a time when we realized that the practice has become impractical and no longer attuned with the times and it just disappeared. The bagbagto practice (organized tribal stone-throwing fights) vanished for the same reason," Evelyn said.
Evelyn is hoping that Agyao will look into the plight of Mtn. Province immigrants in Kalinga who she claimed are being treated as second class citizens in Kalinga for generations now.
She said that in cases where Mtn. Province immigrants were victimized by Kalingas through accidents or crimes, they were not paid the multa.
Evelyn is also intending to bring the case to the attention of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Mtn. Province.
Fr. Denver Marrero who assisted the Mirandas in the handling of the aftermath of the accident the family being members of the Anglican Church said that despite their own loss, the family attended to the needs of the other victims right away.
Marrero said that from the money of the family and solicitations, they were able to extend a total assistance of P130,000.00 which included a pig and a cavan of rice for each of the families of the dead victims and a portion of the funeral expenses.
Marrero also said that around a month after the burial of Alexander, the family hosted a meeting of the relatives of the victims and the surviving passengers wherein the latter had agreed that they will not claim the multa nor file charges.
Marrero related that sometime in November, the family was surprised when some of the relatives of the victims changed their minds. Bargaining then ensued with the family saying they could give only P70,000.00 to be equally divided among the relatives of the victims but the latter wanted P50,000.00 for each dead.
Marrero said that at one point during the June 9 negotiations, Lucia offered that since she no longer has any means of producing the amount demanded, she will just go to jail instead.
Marrero said that on that ill-fated afternoon, Alexander was on his way to his farm in Alubaggan, Calaccad, this city, and when he passed the parking area of vehicles bound for that place, the victims hitched because they missed the last trip for the day. **by Estanislao Albano, Jr.
1 comment:
I commiserate to both parties. I'm from Kalinga but you're right, it was an accident and should be considered as such.
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