Mayor Gumilab expresses support to Special Task Force for Butbut-Betwagan boundary dispute

Tinglayan, Kalinga – Mayor Sacrament Gumilab expressed support to the provincial government’s move to create a task force to handle the longstanding boundary dispute between Butbut and Betwagan.

The provincial government of Kalinga created the special body to facilitate resolution of the land dispute by virtue of Governor Ferdinand Tubban’s Executive Order (EO) No. 2021-23.

The group is tasked to facilitate peace dialogues between the two tribes, request or require attendance of certain individual or group of individuals that can help and assist them in the proper and prompt resolution of the dispute, request records or documents from concerned government agencies that may serve as bases in the conflict resolution and perform other related functions as may be necessary in the realization of the objective of the task force.

Gumilab said that the move of the provincial Government is a ray of hope to finally put an end to the conflict which started in 2001.

Gumilab said that the local officials have been anticipating this action since they sought through a resolution on March 9, 2021, for the province of Kalinga and Mountain Province to create a special body clothed with authority to continue the negotiations and settle amicably the conflict, taking into full consideration indigenous culture and tradition of the two sub-tribes.

“Actually, we have been anticipating for this development because it is the provincial governments of both provinces that should take charge in resolving this problem, considering that it affects two provinces. And under the law it is them, particularly the local legislative body of both province, which should jointly resolve the problem,” he said.

“Maragsakan kami unay, even the members of the sub-tribe of Butbut are very happy with this development because they really need help,” he added.

Gumilab shared that the municipal government entered the negotiation to attain peace between the two, but it was difficult to handle the situation since there are already casualties on both sides.

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Mayor Gumilab expresses support to Special Task Force for Butbut-Betwagan boundary dispute

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