Hope for ceasefire: Can a ‘SIPAT’ be done between Kalinga’s Butbut and Tulgao tribes?

TABUK CITY, Kalinga — Kalinga police are proposing a traditional sipat between the Butbut and Tulgao tribes in Tinglayan as a possible first step toward a ceasefire and renewed dialogue to end their continuing conflict.

A sipat is a traditional peace initiative that can serve as a gesture of goodwill between conflicting parties and help reopen communication toward reconciliation. Depending on the customary practices agreed upon by the communities, it may involve sending respected elders or representatives to the other side, conveying a formal message of peace, and expressing willingness to resume negotiations.

The specific rituals, symbols, or offerings, if any, would depend on the customs recognized by the two communities.

Kalinga Police Provincial Office (KPPO) Director PCol. Peter D. Ngabit Jr. said during the emergency Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC) meeting on October 19, 2026, that he had discussed the proposal with Tinglayan Mayor Charles Abay and Vice Mayor Alexander Malasi after learning that Butbut elders were waiting for the traditional peace gesture.

Ngabit proposed that representatives of Tulgao bring the sipat to the Butbut community to help open the way for a ceasefire while arrangements for another dialogue are being made.

“...barbareng adda ti Sipat ta at least ag-ceasefire da. Habang i-set tayo ti dialogue, tapos irugi tayo manen,” Ngabit recalled telling the mayor.

He said Malasi suggested coordinating with police personnel from Tulgao to bring the sipat to their counterparts from Butbut. Elders from both communities could then be informed and encouraged to agree to a ceasefire and resume negotiations.

The proposal remains dependent on the willingness of both tribes to participate. No new agreement or ceasefire had been confirmed in Ngabit’s report during the October 19 meeting.

Diplomacy to prevent further casualties

Ngabit said his recent visits to the two communities were intended to explain the police’s peacekeeping mission and encourage both sides to return to negotiations to prevent further injuries and deaths.

“Di napanak idiay kunak, napanak idiay ta [ipakaammo] mi ti diplomasya ta haan mi kuma nga kayat nga manaynayunan ti madisgrasya ken matay. Ket agkapya kuma daytoy duwa nga tribu,” he said.

According to Ngabit, the Tulgao community was receptive to the proposal for another dialogue.

He also said some elders had linked the dispute to politics, prompting him to urge them not to allow political differences to worsen the conflict.

Ngabit said his visit was conducted under the instruction of Police Brig. Gen. Noel B. Vallo, the regional director, who tasked him as officer-in-charge to assess the situation in Tinglayan and work toward resolving the conflict with assistance from the provincial government.

Security operations to continue

Ngabit said police would continue security operations while efforts to revive dialogue move forward.

He also discussed the possible consequences of prolonged violence, including its effects on the traditional bodong peace pact and police personnel deployed in the area.

He said authorities were preparing to file a case in connection with the first reported fatality.

He also warned that if the situation required the deployment of the Special Action Force and Regional Mobile Force Battalion to take over security operations, local police personnel could be reassigned to other areas.

Ngabit said his priority remained preventing further casualties and helping the two tribes return to peaceful negotiations, with the proposed sipat serving as a possible step toward a ceasefire.