Kalinga peace council seeks regional intervention to end Butbut-Betwagan conflict after renewed clash claims life

Tinglayan, Kalinga – The Kalinga Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC) has moved to seek the intervention of the Regional Peace and Order Council (RPOC) in resolving the long-running conflict between the Butbut and Betwagan subtribes following renewed hostilities that claimed another life on June 27.

The fatal encounter occurred near Mt. Tummuwad, where members of the Butbut subtribe of Bugnay, Tinglayan, and the Betwagan subtribe of Sadanga, Mountain Province, reportedly clashed anew over their long-standing boundary dispute. The incident resulted in the death of a Butbut tribesman and prompted authorities to deploy security forces to prevent further escalation. The conflict, rooted in competing claims over ancestral boundaries and natural resources, has disrupted the lives and livelihoods of affected communities for years.

It can be recalled that the two groups entered into a ceasefire on September 27, 2025, after signing a Cease-and-Desist Agreement in Poblacion, Tinglayan, in hopes of resolving the conflict that began in 2001. They signed another agreement on December 12, extending the truce for two more months while working toward the establishment of a Sipat—the first step in traditional peace negotiations leading to a permanent peace pact.

However, no further ceasefire extension was reached after the agreement expired, until violence erupted again on June 27.

During the Provincial Peace and Order Council meeting on June 29, chaired by Governor James S. Edduba, council members discussed the renewed conflict and agreed to pass a resolution endorsing the matter to the Regional Peace and Order Council for intervention.

According to Governor Edduba, the RPOC is in a better position to help facilitate a lasting resolution because the conflict involves communities from both Kalinga and Mountain Province.

“If we could endorse this to RPOC tapnu isuda iti mangtaming ditoyen, tapnu mas siguro mas nadagdagsen iti influence, mas nadagdagsen iti authority nga mang-handle ditoy,” the governor said, a proposal that was supported by the council members.

Meanwhile, following the renewed hostilities, the Kalinga Police Provincial Office has maintained the deployment of security personnel in the Mt. Tummuwad area to prevent further violence while local officials, tribal elders, and government agencies continue pursuing efforts toward a peaceful and lasting settlement of the decades-old conflict.