By Joel B. Belinan
Today September 13, 2020 marks the 34th year since the Mt. Data Sipat, a peace agreement between the revolutionary government of then President Corazon Aquino and the Cordillera Bodong Administration/Cordillera Peoples Liberation army led by the late Fr. Conrado Balweg. The Sipat paved the way for the issuance of Executive Order No. 220 that created the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) on July 15, 1987.
In observance of this very historic event, government officials and autonomy advocates will virtually gather with lots of the traditional beating of the gongs and dancing to this. At the center of the Mt. Data Sipat is the creation of an Autonomous Cordillera. Unfortunately, 34 years after Cordillera autonomy remains an elusive dream. And with this pandemic still creating havoc, the attempt to have the third organic act from the bills pending in the House of Representatives and the Senate appears to be as elusive as ever.
Only very few of those leaders that played important roles for the Sipat are still living. Fr. Balweg was assassinated on December 30, 1999 in Bangilo Malebcong, Abra, his very own hometown, in their very own ancestral house. Ama Mario Yag-ao, Ama Peter Galinggan, Ina Lourdes Limmayog and Ama Mariano Agosto also passed on. That leaves Ama Francis Ganggangan (father of present Sadanga Mayor Gabino Ganggangan) and Leonardo “Ka Musling” Bun-as who are still around and are still hoping that they would see the establishment of an autonomous Cordillera region.
One person who played a crucial role in Cordillera contemporary history is Dexter Garado, also known as Ka Sungar to his comrades. He is now nearing 80 and was the organizer and commander for years of the famous Lumbaya Company of the New People’s Army that fought the government forces to oppose the Chico River Multi-Purpose Dam Project. The Lumbaya Company which was composed of native Cordillera fighters eventually became the backbone of the Cordillera Peoples’s Liberation Army that split from the NPA due to ideological differences. Unfortunately he was not present during the Mt. Data Sipat as he was then recuperating in Manila from gunshot wounds he sustained in one encounter. Ka Sungar during one of this writer’s visit at his home in Bontoc, Mtn. Province last year said that he would be very happy to leave this world if only the Cordillera will become an autonomous region.
Talking of autonomy advocates that already passed away, another pillar died last week. He is my close friend Edwin Muyao or Ka Eloy to his comrades in arms. Edwin for many years was the political officer of the CPLA group that stuck to the original group called the Balweg faction. Accordingly, he did not survive his second cardiac arrest last August 29. He first suffered a cardiac arrest in January 2019. His dwindling health prompted him to retire from his job at the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR-Kalinga) last January although he was just 60 years old. Aside from his being a very articulate political officer, he was also known as the joker of the CPLA who could speak almost all languages or dialects in the Cordillera.
It should be noted that after the assassination of Fr. Balweg the group’s leadership was passed on to the younger generation of CPLA leaders that included Mike Suguiyao (who is now a Board member of Kalinga Province), James Kennept, Jet Sagudang and Edwin Muyao, among others. Edwin being the political officer was responsible for the political direction of the group. While he was a government employee with the DAR, he always found time for the group. His biggest contribution though was the acquisition of the more than 160 hectares of land in Ileb, Nambaran, Tabuk for the resettlement of CPLA operatives and their families through the Agrarian Reform Program of the government. It is now called Camp Balweg in memory of their deceased leader. Ka Eloy was laid to rest in Camp Nalweg last Saturday Sept. 5, 2020 ** (The author developed a strong friendship with many of the players of the Mount Data Sipat and the Quest for Autonomy.)
**Comments @ FB page Martial Arts for Health and Fitness
