NCIP recommends reinstatement of IP representative to Pagadian City Council

Video from 9News Philippine TV Cebuano

By Hirohito D. Cadion

PAGADIAN CITY, Zamboanga del Sur, Sept. 22 (PNA) – The National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) has recommended the reinstatement of Timuay Langhap Rio Olimpio Lingating as the Indigenous Peoples Mandatory Representative (IPMR) to the City Council.

NCIP Regional Director Woy Lim Wong said Monday the recommendation came after the fact finding team the agency has created which has completed its investigation over the termination of Lingating as the IPMR to the City Council brought about by the alleged withdrawal of support by the Indigenous Peoples (IPs).

Wong said they have also recommended the local government to honor the validity of the Certificate of Affirmation (COA) issued by the NCIP and the Certificate of Recognition (COR) issued by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).

Likewise, Wong said they have recommended to the NCIP central office for the Commission to pass an en banc resolution addressed to the DILG to compel compliance on the part of the city government. 

Wong said they activated the fact finding team after the Subanen Tribal Leaders formally requested them to conduct an in-depth investigation over the removal of Lingating as the IPMR to the city council.

He said the fact finding team found out that there was manipulation that resulted to the removal of Lingating as IPMR.

Bobby Lingating

He said that among the findings of the team are as follows: most of the Indigenous Cultural Communities/Indigenous Peoples (ICCs/IPs) who withdrew their endorsement of Lingating are not Timuay and have no “Ghelal” or Timuay rank; there were employees from Barangay Affairs Office (BAO) under the office of City Mayor who mediated to withdraw their support to Lingating as IPMR; that there was a lawyer and a former NCIP employee who facilitated the meeting and explained to the IPs that the selection process was not in accordance with NCIP Administrative Order 001 Series of 2009.

The team also found out that most of those who withdrew their support are incumbent and former barangay officials, government casual employees and if not they have relative working in the city government; there were also those ICCs/IPs who categorically denied to have signed a joint affidavit and also there were those who signed the joint affidavit that the lawyer who subscribed the documents was not known to them; some admitted that they signed the affidavit at their barangay because it was personally brought to them and the others have signed although they were not present during the 2009 General Assembly; some of them have not signed endorsement to Lingating but they signed the joint affidavit under oath withdrawing their endorsement.

Wong said the fact finding team has established that the selection of Lingating was in accordance with the formulated guidelines, customs, traditions and practices of the Subanen ICCs/IPs of this city.

Wong said the fact finding team further found no valid grounds to invalidate the selection process Lingating have undergone “since there were testimonies and documentary evidences that he was really selected as the IPMR by the Subanen Elders and Leaders of this city.”

He said the fact finding team has also recommended for the NCIP to undertake necessary actions to protect the ICCs/IPs from any form of abuses, discriminations, persecutions, harassments and other acts that would suppress their rights under the law.

“Time has come to end the agony and stress brought forth by my illegal removal as the duly selected IP Mandatory Representative of the Subanen as ex-officio member of the City Council of Pagadian,” Lingating said as he appreciated the fact finding team’s efforts to ferret out the truth concerning his removal from the city council.

Lingating said the fact finding team has given justice to the Subanen Tribes “as we exercise our rights as inspired by section 16 of R.A. 8371 otherwise known as Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA) of 1997.

Lingating assumed office as IPMR in the City Council on March 19, 2013 by virtue of COA issued by the former NCIP Regional Director Salong Sunggod and COR issued by the DILG.

Wong said he hoped that all other government agencies including local government units will fully support the cause of the IPs particularly those living in the hinterlands.

“There are things that we have accomplished but, more issues, problems and concerns have to be addressed. These cannot be addressed alone by the NCIP. We need the support particularly of our IP leaders and other government agencies,” Wong said. (PNA)
TPGJR/HDCADION/UTB