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Bodong ways in a modern setting

Understanding the Lubuagan-Guinaang bodong: an invitation

BAGUIO CITY (Feb. 10) — How are the rules of bodong (peace pact) and state laws applied to resolve conflicts between two tribes? This question elicited a thousand and one that the Kalinga tribes who gathered here on Saturday moved for the holding of a bodong congress in the near future.

Even Kalinga officials who were then at the said conference agreed that the talks be held in abeyance, said Atty. Elorde Lingayo, chair of the Kalinga Bodong Convenors’ Group (KBCG). The KBCG has been spearheading attempts at conflict resolution between Kalinga tribes.

Lingayo advocates the contents of the general Pagta (tribal agreement) held on October 1, 1999 at the Benguet State University (BSU) campus which has been adopted by some Kalinga city-based binodngan and members of the bodong-practicing villages in Kalinga.

The general pagta, according to Lingayo covers Baguio-Benguet only. Foremost, Lingayo says, the general pagta prohibits bales (revenge) as a form of conflict settlement. It has controlled the spillage of tribal wars, he says.

In the event that some tribal members commit a mistake, meaning, has killed or hurt any member of another tribe, a criminal case must be filed against the offender. The bodong holder from the offender’s tribe is compelled to testify in court and in case, the offender flees, he brings him back to Baguio or Benguet.

Tribal elders from both tribes may settle the conflict the bodong way, clarifies Lingayo, but the criminal case will still proceed. The offended party is prohibited from executing an affidavit of desistance. Kalinga lawyers are not supposed to assist in the legal proceedings, as agreed upon in the general pagta.

“This is where the modification lies,” says Lingayo. He explained that in the original pagta, if someone commits a crime within the binodngan areas, the offending person does not suffer alone. The tribe usually produces whatever the offended tribe demands.

“If 10 carabaos are asked to settle the offense, only one carabao may come from the perpetrator of the crime,” he illustrates, “because it is the responsibility of the whole tribe to solicit.”

Lingayo said that the “criminal will never reform because he will have no criminal record in courts.” After the tribal settlement, criminals may hold government positions and may even enter the Philippine Military Academy or be a police officer, he said.

He added that there have to be ample discussions to settle issues and come up with more acceptable resolutions.

One such bodong in Baguio and Benguet that adopted the Kalinga general pagta is the recently forged bodong between the Lubuagan and Guinaang tribes in January.

Mario Gawon, peace pact holder for the Lubuagan tribe explains that the Lubuagan-Guinaang conflict is not as grave as those in other binodngan areas where revenge is allowed.

“Saan a kaskarina nga innibusan ti tribo,” (It not at all easy to simply kill members of the other tribe), “Ngem kasapulan latta ti ag-precaution,” (Still, we have to take caution) Gawon clarifies.

Thus, the Lubuagan-Guinaang bodong.

Gawon agreed with Benny Lingbawan, peace-pact holder of the Guinaang tribe, that the conflict had to be resolved at once. The bodong was the only means by which they could control the ill effects of tribal war in the ili (hometown).

He said a criminal case had to be filed in the courts while the tribe settles the case so that government will help settle the conflict. He however recognizes that there are legitimate questions with combining bodong rules with state laws and procedures at conflict resolution. Ample suggestions from all concerned groups and discussions on the advantages and disadvantages are a must, Gawon reiterates.

“We have to live in the present,” Gawon states, “Saan a kasla idi a bassit pay ti tattao ken awan pay ti cell phones” (Not like before when people were few and there were no cellular phones).

He confesses that it is not easy to forge a bodong, but the benefits the tribes derive from it overwhelm him. Preparations are thorough and should involve a lot of people who should approve on the holding of a celebration of the bodong.

He took as an example the setting up of the allasiw (tokens). “If one member of the tribe does not favor of the terms of the bodong, it is possible that the allasiw is returned which is a signal of the collapse of the agreement. Tribes, however, try to convince all members on the rules or terms of the bodong.

“Masapol ket amin ag-wen,” (Everyone has to approve) Gawon clarifies that a bodong entails tribal consensus. He expressed appreciation in the agreements and the processes these have gone through. A bodong does not just collapse.

In the binodngan areas, Gawon explains, even if one member of a tribe offends a member of the other tribe with whom his tribe have an agreement, the bodong could not just collapse. Tribal elders and leaders find ways to talk it out and save the bodong.

The expression agsinnubli ti buneng (returning of bolos, which usually represent tokens) does not physically happen, according to Gawon.

He also mentioned that if the bodong collapses, an emissary from a neutral party, usually a member of a third tribe, or a mestizo from the warring tribes, is sent to the other tribe to bring the information that the bodong has collapsed.

Gawon emphasized that tribal communities and binodngan areas are generally peaceful. It had been like this since I was young, he says, correcting a wrong notion that it is awesome to go to Kalinga or any tribal area.

“One has to really understand how the bodong works to appreciate it. Only then that one could compare state laws as combined with the bodong way to settle differences among tribal peoples.” Gawon’s statement entices. # Lyn V. Ramo and Marlon Gomarcho for NORDIS

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