Lubuagan Mayor Charisma Anne Dickpus is delighted that longstanding tribal and clan conflicts have been put to rest before she leaves office on June 30.
Dickpus said hostilities and conflicts hinder development and thus it was one of her priorities to push for peace settlement of conflicts which remained unresolved and relationships unrestored for many years.
For the past three years, Dickpus’ administration worked for the restoration of peace between Lubuagan and Lubo, Tanudan.
Likewise, they were able to reconcile Uma and Tanglag tribes.
Apart from tribal conflicts, three clan feuds in Lubuagan were settled.
“Masapul nga maayos tapnu siwawaya latta dagiay tao nga umay ditoy Lubuagan mangyeg iti development. Agbuteng a dagiay investors nga umay nu adda dagitoy nga makitkita da nga problema,” she conveyed.
Dickpus added that reconciliation between tribes and clans will allow parties to travel freely and go to places without the fear of meeting the other side they are in conflict with.
• Lubuagan – Lubo, Tanudan
The Bodong between Lubuagan and Lubo, Tanudan was broken in 1949 due to some unfortunate incident. Since then, some lives have been taken from both sides and some individuals have suffered injuries.
For the past seven decades, there were even intermarriages that happened between the two conflicting tribes, however, elders said it was not enough to hold the ties.
In their eagerness to end the long-standing conflict, Mayor Dickpus and Tanudan Mayor Jaedicke Rhoss Dagadag have worked together and set schedules with the elders to discuss the restoration of Bodong.
In spite of meetings being postponed due to the pandemic, the Lubuagan and Lubo, Tanudan tribes finally met on January 19, 2022 where they instantly agreed to do the Sipat and exchanged tokens.
The Bodong of Uma and Tanglag tribes in Lubuagan was cut due to a shooting incident in 2015.
The case started when a new member of the New People’s Army from the Tanglag tribe was tasked to shoot an ex-rebel from Uma.
The ex-rebel from Uma was shot in Appas, Tabuk City and spent many days recuperating from the hospital.
Though there were no reported injuries and hostilities between the two tribes, Dickpus facilitated the revival of the Bodong of Uma and Tanglag.
This then paved the way to the settlement of the case and the reconciliation of the two tribes on May 18, 2022.
The next move for the two tribes now will be the Singlip which is the restoration of the Bodong.
According to Lubuagan Indigenous Person Mandatory Representative Roger Bun-as, Mayor Dickpus continued the legacy of his father, former Mayor Johnny Dickpus, who also prioritized the settlement of disputes.
He explained that apart from negotiating and talking personally to the warring parties, Dickpus herself and the other officials and the employees of the Lubuagan LGU used their own resources to help the suspect’s side provide needed amount for the damages.
Bun-as said that the dispute between the Eway and Bacante clans started in 2014 when the side of Eway shot and hacked one of the Bacantes after a heated argument.
There were attempts of revenge but no one was injured. Both sides welcomed negotiations and the case was finally solved on March 13, 2020 where the ‘Pakpakan’ was held.
Bun-as explained that ‘Pakpakan’ is the process of restoring peace by eating together and by washing their hands on a basin with water and coins. ‘Pakpakan’ breaks off the ‘mabutot’, the enlarging of the stomach when you eat at the house of the enemy.
• Duclawit-Aclam Clan 2003
The ties between the Duclawit and Aclam was broken in 2003.
Bun-as recalled that based on investigation of the people who went at the place of incident, a member of the Aclam allegedly shot someone from the Duclawit.
Before the victim died, he allegedly managed to stab the suspect who later died as well. On March 24, 2021, the ‘Pakpakan’ happened.
The Alya-on and Bassiag conflict began in 1998 where a Philippine National Police member of the Alya-on family shot a police officer of the Bassiag clan.
The late Congressman Manuel Agyao even instructed the provincial peace and order council to settle the case but they were not able to solve it.
On November 7, 2019, the suspect from the Alya-on side was arrested in Baguio City.
“Mayor spoke to Atty. Bassiag, adda dagiay inaramid da nga paglintegan nga masurot,” Bun-as recalled.
After years and series of negotiations, the two sides met to a consensus. The ‘Pakpakan’ is yet to be conducted.
Among the ongoing conflicts that the mayor is trying to settle include the restoration of peace pact between the Mabongtot and Betwagan tribes, Ocli-Campilis clans and the Aplicho and Ikko families.
Bun-as specified that Mayor Dickpus wants the two clans to at least have the ‘Pakpakan’ to avoid the children getting ‘mabutot’.
He said that the kids are usually not aware of the conflicts around them.
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