February 21, 2018- Venus Parkview Hotel, Baguio City – Secretary and TESDA Director General Guiling “Gene” Mamondiong in his message to delegates coming from Regions 1, 2 and the Cordillera Administrative Region in a summit on Federalism with the theme PURSUING MUSLIM AND INDIGENOUS PEOPLES DEVELOPMENT held at the Venus Parkview Hotel here said that a fedral state is better than an autonomous region. He said that he is endorsing to the President the position paper of the Cordillera group led by Task Force EO 220, the Cordillera Peoples Liberation Army-Cordillera Bodong Administration (CPLA/CBA), Coalition for Cordillera Federal State, Cordillera Basic Sectors Congress and Indigenous Peoples of the Cordillera Administrative Region.
During the conference, Task Force EO 220 presented a video on the provincial summits attended by delegates from Abra, Baguio City, Benguet, Kalinga, Mountain Province and Ifugao on their petition and resolution for the President to immediately reactivate the CAR Bodies under EO 220 as a mechanism of establishing a separate “Cordillera State” under a federal system of government.
It was mentioned that the people of the Cordilleras have spoken. Allegedly, the province of Abra conducted its provincial summit on the reactivation of the CAR Bodies towards federalism in Manabo, Abra on January 13, 2018; Baguio City on January 17, 2018; Benguet on January 27, 2018 at La Trinidad, Benguet; Kalinga on January 31, 2018 at the Provincial Gymnasium in Tabuk City, Mountain Province on February 11, 2018 at the Municipal Hall, Paracelis, Mountain Province and in Ifugao on February 17, 2018 at the Cudog Gymnasium, Lagawe, Ifugao
Mamondiong in his remark said that we are supporting the “Cordillera State.” He mentioned and assured the head of the secretariat of Task Force EO 220, Daisy Lee, Chairman Mailed Molina of the CPLA/CBA, Jude G. Wal of the Cordillera Basic Sectors Congress, the Indigenous Peoples Youth and students group led by Rex A. Bayangan. The Religious Sector led by Pastor Bunagan and Bishop Tongtongdan and all the Cordillera leaders and delegates present that we fully support the establishment of a separate “Cordillera State.” “This is the change the President would like to implement, let us change the rotten system of a unitary government into a federal system which is better for the Cordillera because you already have a law in Executive Order 220.”
He added, “I will personally endorse to the President the position paper of your groups tomorrow in Malacanang. We have this chance and better option as the President is determined to reconfigure the rotten system of unitary government into a government of the people. The President want recognition of indigenous peoples rights over ancestral domains. He wants sectoral representatives to chart the destiny of the “Cordillera State,” like the control and supervision of natural resources should be clearly defined and this is for the advantage of the Cordillera.”
Secretary Mamondiong also answered a querry that some groups in the Cordillera are supporting the Cordillera Autonomy Bill under House Bill 5343. Mamondiong said that “Federalism is an urgent issue in the Duterte administration. He made that promise during the campaign and he was elected by the people because of that campaign promise to change the rotten corrupt system of centralized government into a federal system. Now let me ask you, why go for autonomy when the President is for federalism? The Cordillera Administration Region has already an existing law in Executive Order 220, you need not go to congress. The reactivation of EO 220 needs only the approval of the President and the Cordillera can work and improve on this based on your indigenous customs, culture and traditions.”
Earlier, Secretary Jesus G. Dureza in his Memorandum for President Rodrigo Roa Duterte dated December 12, 2017 strongly endorsed the position paper of the Cordillera Peoples Liberation Army/Cordillera Bodong Administration (CPLA/CBA) Chaired by Mailed Molina, Task Force EO 220, Cordillera Basic Sectors Congress for the reactivation of the CAR Bodies under Executive Order 220, series of 1987.
Secretary Dureza in his recommendation said that the CAR Bodies are merely inactive and an executive order from the President alone, without first passing a law by Congress will already activate what could be the mechanism for a Cordillera Federal State.
The headline of last week’s issue of this paper was for the Cordillerans not to confuse autonomy with federalism where Baguio City Mayor Mauricio Domogan argued that it is better for the Cordillera to be autonomous even if a federal system of governmennt would be fully implemented.**
