Cordillera executives step up drive for autonomy

BAGUIO CITY ,Philippines  – Cordillera leaders are stepping up the drive toward an autonomous mountain region here.

This, even with various groups existing aberration against political leaders using the “autonomy fervor” as their political vehicle toward another regional position once they graduate from their political positions now.

Top local government officials in the region vowed during the recent regional meeting in Tabuk City, Kalinga to work out a fresh attempt to flesh out self-rule, 24 years after the six-province, one-city region was established under a supposed-to-be temporary administrative setup.

“Autonomy is the future of our region,” said Baguio Mayor Mauricio Domogan who, last year, was designated chair of a committee now drafting a new charter for self-rule.

The first two charters were rejected in two plebiscites, with only Ifugao voting for the first organic act in 1990 and only Apayao adopting the second version in 1998.

The Supreme Court, however, ruled that a one-province autonomous region is not legally tenable.

Autonomy will not diminish the powers, functions and benefits already being exercised and enjoyed by the Cordillera region and its local government units under the present administrative setup, top officials in the region said. Instead, autonomy will give the Cordillera greater control of its remaining resources.

Governors Jocel Baac of Kalinga, who also chairs the Regional Development Council, Nestor Fongwan of Benguet, Leonard Mayaen of Mt. Province and Eugene Balitang of Ifugao, private sector representative Virgilio Bautista of the Regional Development Council and economic and development regional director Juan Ngalob vowed support for the third push for autonomy. “Ifugao will support autonomy as it was the first to vote for it,” Balitang said.”

Mayaen noted that auto­nomy will give the people of Mt. Province the power to decide on how its natural and mineral resources, which remain intact, would be harnessed for its own development. “We have no choice but to support autonomy, or else we would be left out in the push for progress,” Fongwan also said.

Under autonomy, Domogan of Baguio said that the exploitation, exploration, development, enjoyment and utilization of natural resources found in the Cordillera shall be under the control, permission and supervision of the regional government upon due consultation, except with respect to uranium, coal and petroleum which shall be under the control and supervision of the national government.