Tribe formalizes support for hydro project

TABUK CITY, Kalinga – Through the signatures of their chosen representatives, the four indigenous cultural communities (ICCs) in the vicinity of the proposed Upper Tabuk Hydropower Project (UTHP) all of which belong to the Nanong tribe have formalized their endorsement of the project.

Thirty-two members of the 40-man Nanong Governing Council who were present during the organizational meeting of the council on March 6 have signed a manifesto expressing their support for the project.

The tribal group known as Nanong is composed of the ICCs of the Nanong, Malbong, Dallac and Minanga who inhabit the barangays of Naneng, Lucog, Dupag and Bagumbayan in Upper Tabuk.

The manifesto also named the Minanga ICC in whose ancestral domain in barangay Dupag the UTHP is located as the host ICC thereby formally ending a bitter dissension in the Nanong tribe on the question of who should be the host ICC.

For months, groups within and outside the Nanong tribe have questioned the status of the Minanga as the host ICC claiming among others that it only lately sought recognition as a sub-tribe under the Kalinga ethnic group to skirt the free and prior informed consent (FPIC) process of the Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Act (IPRA).

Using its recognition from the Tabuk City LGU and the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) obtained on January 9, 2009 and through the Kalinga Hydropower, Inc. which it formed as the entity to pursue the project, the Minangas obtained the hydro project requirements from government.

The oppositors in and ouside the Nanong tribe alleged that what the Minangas did was a circumvention of the IPRA insisting that under the law, it should be the whole Nanong tribe which will give the go signal to the project and also stand as host ICC.

The conflict within the tribe over the question of which ICC to host the project became so bitter it threatened the pursuit of the project but this was resolved during a tribal general assembly in Naneng on January 22 when the participants decided to name Minanga as the host ICC and for the formation of the 40-man council which will decide on the project in behalf of the tribe.

In the manifesto, the council also endorsed the KHI as partner and developer of the project.

The council members of which were formally chosen by the barangay councils of the four ICCs also declared that the manifesto was the result of the consensus of the Nanong tribe and had asked all parties to respect the decision.

The council includes the four barangay captains of the Nanong territory namely Samuel Suma-al of Dupag, Villamor Sannadan of Lucog, Edmund Daodaoen of Bagumbayan and Rommel Balunggay of Naneng.

Heriberto Barila, the council’s interim secretary general, told the media that the manifesto which will be sent to government agencies concerned with hydropower projects and prospective investors to prove that the people in the host community and not just a few members welcome the project.

“We also want to disprove the allegation of some parties that majority of the members of the four ICCs are not informed and do not support the project. With the manifesto, we want to assure prospective investors that the tribe supports the project,” Barila said.

Barila said that the council is the body that will enter into contract with the investor as well as answer questions that may be levelled against the project.

He said that they are presently formulating the by-laws of the governing council in preparation for registering with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

The other interim officers of the council are the following: Balunggay – president; Suma-al – vice president for internal affairs; Sixto Obal – vice president for external affairs; Miguel Barila – treasurer; Edward Alimani – auditor; Jerome Tabanganay – PRO; Camilo Degay and Tina Batak – business managers. **By Estanislao Albano, Jr.

Murder in Tabuk might rouse tribal grudges

Tabuk City, Kalinga - Local police investigators are looking into the possibility the tricycle driver found dead on the driver's seat of his tricycle at Purok 7, Bulanao, this city, 8:10 AM of November 8, was killed because he was mistaken to be a member of the Naneng tribe. Tabuk City OlC-Chief of Police Romulo Danglose said that according to their initial findings, victim Salvador Carpio, 42, married, presently residing at of Purok 6, Bulanao, used to live in Balani, Lucog, this city, and spoke the Naneng dialect fluently although he was an immigrant.

Incidentally, according to a source, Carpio had transferred his family to Bulanao after their house in Balani was destroyed by a landslide in August 6,2006. The victim who himself was injured in the landslide, lost two of his children in the tragedy.

Danglose said that based on descriptions given by witnesses, they have identified Primo Binay-og as suspect in the shooting to death of Carpio and police investigators are now trying to establish the motive of revenge for the shooting to death of relatives Noel and Jose Binay-og by alleged Naneng gunmen on June 29, 2005 at Maledda, Ipil, this city. Danglose said that the Binay-ogs and the Nanengs were feuding over a parcel of land.

The Sadanga tribe to which the Binay-ogs belong, however, deny a hand in the killing of Carpio even as they expressed willingness to perform the sapata to clear themselves. The sapata is an indigenous ritual whereby a person who is being suspected of a crime solemnly avers his innocence under pain of harm befalling himself and even his family if he is lying.

Several persons who were not members of either warring tribe have been killed on mistaken identity during tribal wars here in recent years.

The shooting of Carpio was the first of three violent incidents occurring in the city since last week.

Around 8:55 PM of November 11 Estabillo Galamto, 17, resident of Purok 5, Bulanao, Bemie Balicao, single, laborer, also of Purok 5, Bulanao and Adrian Dayawon, 23, single, student of the nearby Kalinga-Apayao State College and resident of Paligatto, Balawag, this city, were walking along the Provincial Road on their way to Hilltop, Purok 6, Bulanao when shot one after the other for still no apparent reason.

Galamto was killed, 17, Dayawon was injured and Balicao who was also shot once escape unscathed.

Initial police investigation show that three were accosted by two men in front of the National Irrigation Administration compound. One of the two men then shot them at close range. His companion was unarmed. Scene of the Crime Operative from the KPPO recovered three empty shell for a caliber 45 pistol in the crime scene. Danglose said the investigation has been stalled because Balicao could not give any useful information while Dayawon is still recuperating in the hospital.

Dawn of November 14, Reynaldo Dugayon, 32, married, a farmer who also buys and sells gold, and a resident of Bullalayao, Pantikian, Balbalan, this province, was shot dead in his room at the Las Vegas Lodge in Dagupan Weste by still unidentified gunman for still unknown reason. The victim was shot twice as evidence by two empty shells recovered in the room by police investigators.

Investigator Paul Payan told the media that Dugayon had checked in at a different hotel but transferred to the Las Vegas Lodge sometime in the evening where he, together with gay waiter George Garcia, 20, and waitress Mary Ann Crisologo, 17, drunk in the Los Angeles Videoke House on the third floor of the hotel from 8 to 10:45 PM.

Quoting a Jerry Alvendo, 26, the cashier of the hotel, Payan said that from the videoke bar, the three transferred to the room of the victim in the second floor where they ate and then continued drinking until 3 AM when Garcia and Crisologo left Dugayon.

It was around the time when Garcia and Crisologo left the victim's room that shots rang out in the hotel. Danglose said that robbery has been ruled out as a motive for the crime because a cash of 29,750.00 was found in a pant pocket of the victim. Danglose said they are now looking into information the murder is connected with a hold-up which took place in Gaang, Balbalan on October 28 wherein the victim was the suspect.

Danglose said the information appears to tally with the statement of witnesses in the first two videoke bars where Dugayon had a drink that evening and also at the Las Vegas Lodge where a man wearing a black leather jacket was following him. **By Estanislao Albano Jr., ZZW, Nov. 18, 2007