Lawmaker to revive push for Cordillera autonomy

MANILA, Philippines - Ifugao Rep. Teddy Baguilat is pushing for autonomy in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) as mandated under the 1987 Constitution through an act of Congress.

Baguilat and four other CAR lawmakers – Eleanor Begtang of Apayao, Bernardo Vergara of Baguio City, Manuel Agyao of Kalinga, and Maximo Dalog of Mt. Province – earlier filed House Bill 5595 that seeks to create a Cordillera Autonomous Region.

“Granting autonomy to the Cordillera is one constitutional provision that has not been fulfilled. Perhaps we should first seek to fulfill the mandates of the Constitution such as Cordillera autonomy,” Baguilat said.

The bill, however, did not progress owing to questions on how exactly the autonomous region will work, considering that there remain issues on the autonomy granted to Muslim Mindanao.

But Baguilat said he would push ahead with filing another bill on Cordillera autonomy in the second regular session of Congress in the coming months, as the Cordillerans “are more than ready for self-rule, in deference to their long history and unique customs and traditions.”

The CAR Regional Development Council has been working on the proposed third Cordillera Autonomy Organic Act and Baguilat said he would take the inputs under serious consideration when the bill is refiled in the next Congress.

He said thousands of Cordilleran leaders from civil society organizations and local government officials are set to convene on April 30 in Baguio City to present a united position on autonomy and appeal to President Aquino to make Cordilleran autonomy a priority of his administration.

“We are addressing issues for peace and development in Mindanao through Bangsamoro autonomy, we should not forsake Cordillera autonomy, which is also driven by a desire to give Cordillerans more control of their resources and their political and economic destiny as a unique people,” he said.