By Atty. Antonio P. Pekas
Our Cordillera Regional Development Council is our prime mover for Cordillera Autonomy. But first they have to show they can protect the rights of Cordillerans in the present set up.
By Cordillerans, I mean those who are living here and, I have to add, who are earning and spending their money here. That is, regardless of their ethnic origin or where they trace their roots. So those from Mindanao who have migrated here are Cordillerans as much as any Full Blooded Igorot who was born and remains to be settled here.
The RDC’s credibility or effectiveness in campaigning for Cordillera Autonomy rests on their effectiveness to protect the interest of Cordillerans within the bounds of the law. Nothing here is being suggested to employ extra-legal means to achieve that goal. Without showing this, their efforts at autonomy can be misinterpreted to mean they are just after their self-interest.
For instance, I was told time and again that there is an executive order issued by then Tita Cory to the effect that officers and employees of government in this region, especially local officials of national line agencies must as much as possible be Cordillerans—as long as they are qualified, of course. The reason is to prepare Cordillerans on how to run the reins of government when autonomy is granted.
I tried to search for this executive order through the internet but I failed to find it. The reason? Yes, you are right, I did not try hard enough.
During the time of PNoy, most of the regional directors of national line agencies here were from elsewhere. These people brought along with them their own factotums where they came from so the positions left for Cordillerans were just the crumbs or the inconsequential ones.
One regional director who came from Region 2 started filling up key positions with his own people, shoving aside the locals who were even old timers in that agency. He also brought along younger ones to be groomed to shoot up the ranks even after he leaves.
Cordilleran local directors certainly will campaign hard for autonomy. The reach of their power or influence all the way to the grassroots might be all that the autonomy drive needs for it to win in a plebiscite when the time comes. It might be them who would be able to muster the critical mass of supporters for the drive to get through the crucible of oppositionists for us to finally have a shot at self-determination.
I guess the RDC should start going down this road. After all it is just in keeping with the law.
***
This is what some people say about momma chewers (Dr. Penelope A. Domogo wrote about the health side of it the other week).
I rode a cab the other day and we had to pass by a road whose side was being dug out and concreted. One worker was standing instead of working. He was busy chewing momma, and very soon he would exercise his freedom of spit— of blood red.
Then the taxi driver recalled one of his passengers whom he banned from chewing his momma. As soon he started preparing the stuff—of wrapping with a leaf the betel nut with lime powder—he immediately told him not to chew momma in his cab. When the passenger started to protest, the driver said that if he insists he might as well get down and get another cab.
As the driver related: “Maangot ko pay en diay katay na. Ket no itupra na diyay a ket ma-iwakiras iti bakrang ti lugan. Di siak ketdin mang-ugas katay na. Dugyot dagita!”
He continued: “Kasano met ngata maki lips to lips dagidiay iti babaket da. Daiy daduma kanyada ket napipintas baket da. Weno saan dan maramanan sam-it ti lips ti baket da.”
I just laughed. **
