Baguio dad welcomes NCIP rectification
2 MIN READ
By ALDWIN QUITASOL
www.nordis.net
BAGUIO CITY — “Let us give the opportunity to correct itself,” Baguio City Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan said in response to the pronouncement of the National Commission on Indigenous People (NCIP) to conduct an investigation on the irregularly issued Certificates of Ancestral Land Titles (CALTs) in this City of Pines.
Last week, representatives of various groups especially the descendants of legitimate ancestral land owners in Baguio City told the NCIP to rectify the shortcomings of its past officials. They particularly pointed at the issuance of questionable CALTs that resulted to land speculation over ancestral lands in Baguio and Benguet.
Domogan said he talked to Atty. Rey Libiran and also to NCIP Commissioner Bridgette Pawid regarding the plan of the NCIP to investigate unscrupulous CALT issuances. He disclosed that the city though will not withdraw the pending cases it filed together with the Office of the Secretary General (OSG) against NCIP over the ancestral land issue. He said he will in return write the OSG for the temporary stoppage of the proceedings of the cases until the NCIP will finish its investigation.
According to Domogan, he received information that the NCIP is eyeing on investigating five questionable issued CALTs.
Meanwhile, during his weekly “Ugnayang Panglunsod”, the mayor said he is drafting a position paper of the City Government on the issue of ancestral land claims in the city. He said he will submit it to the House of Representatives (HOR). He also said he will ask the congress to review and make a stand on the definition and implementation of the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA) particularly on ancestral land matters.
Domogan said he will make it clear in the said position paper that he has nothing against the issuance of CALTs. He stressed that the City Government of Baguio actually is supporting the granting of land titles to legitimate claimants. He stressed that what he is opposing is the unscrupulous land titling by the NCIP in favor of private individuals especially over government properties. He cited the case of the Forbes Park, Mansion House and Wright Park.
Domogan also stressed that government properties shall be respected as owned by the government and should remain as is unless revised by legislation. # nordis.net
