NCIP orders Pagadian City to reinstate the IPs Mandatory Representative

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Posted by MINDANAO PAGADIAN FRONTLINE

Timuay Rio Olimpio

Lingating

PAGADIAN CITY, Zamboanga del Sur, Nov. 10 (PNA) – The National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) has ordered the local government to reinstate Timuay Rio Olimpio Lingating as the Indigenous Peoples Mandatory Representative (IPMR) in the City Council of this city.

NCIP Legal Officer Atty. Maribel Tamayo said Monday the letter order, which the local government received November 5, was signed and issued by NCIP Regional Director Timuay Woy Lim Wong pursuant to Memorandum Order No. 359 dated October 24, 2014 signed by NCIP Chairperson Aty. Oralder Quitayo.

Quitayo’s memorandum ordered Wong to reinstate Lingating as the legitimate IPMR in this city.

It can be recalled that Lingating, who assumed office in March 2013 was ousted on July of the same year through a majority vote of the members of the City Council on four grounds.

The four grounds are the following: that the 10th and 11th City Council failed to legislate a law creating the Office of the IP representative as Ex-Officio member of the Sangguniang Panglungsod of this city with corresponding budget allocation for salary and operation of the office; the recognition of Lingating as IP Representative did not pass through a proper decorum in which the issue on IP representative to the Sangguniang Panglungsod of this city was not referred to the concerned committee for the proper deliberation and evaluation; the endorsement of Lingating as IP representative was not properly done due to the absence of the supporting documents prior to the issuance of the NCIP Certificate of Affirmation; and, with the insistent objection of the members of the 11th City Council to recognize Lingating anew as member of the Sangguniang Panglungsod was declared defeated by a majority vote.

Tamayo said Wong cited the Memorandum Order of Quitayo stating that the failure of the 10th and 11th City Council to legislate a law creating the office of the IPMR as Ex-Officio member of the Sangguniang Panglungsod including the failure to allocate budget for salary, etc. is a “failure” of the said Council and can never be the basis to remove the IPMR, whose appointed is mandated by a law.

Quitayo’s order also cited the law and subsequent guidelines as well as DILG Opinion No. 20, s. 2011 are very clear that the IPMR cannot also be subjected to the majority vote or any voting process of the City Council members.

“We hope that this issue will end up harmoniously, giving due regard to the general interest of the IPs of Pagadian City who have been deprived of representation for more than a year already,” Tamayo added.

The copy of the reinstatement order was sent to Mayor Romeo Pulmones through Vice Mayor Divina Grace Yu, as the chair of the City Council. (PNA)
FPV/TPGJR/HIROHITO D. CADION/JSD