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Tribal leaders want Baguio killings studied

BAGUIO CITY (Sept.1) — Six civilians killed in the city’s central business district over a period of two weeks alarmed a group of Cordillera elders who called for a thorough and immediate investigation. They are appealing to members of the concerned tribes to study the cause of the killings before acting on these. This also prompted some tribes to hold a meeting on the incidents of killing in the city.

“Saan a kasilpo ti tribal war daytoy,” (These killings are not related to tribal war) a Cordillera elder said. The Metro-Baguio Tribal Elder and Leaders’ Assembly (MBTELA) Chairperson Mariano Datol expressed concern that the public might construe the killings as resulting from tribal wars in the binodngan areas (areas in the provinces where bodong or peace pact exists).

A shootout on August 14 occurred when a Baguio City Police officer killed two men, including a former member of the Cordillera People’s Liberation Army (CPLA) who was among the 249 integrees to the Philippine Army. Earlier that evening one of those shot by the police reportedly killed two others.

The BCPO identified the four fatalities as 2Lt. Albano Signaben, Edwin Afidchao aka Armando Barrugan, Hawkie Codiamat and Robert Facullo. They were from Samoki and Tucucan in Bontoc and Belwang in Sadanga town, all in Mountain Province.

According to reports, PO3 Roy Lumdang responded when passers-by told him that Signaben and Afidchao figured in a shootout at a bar at the back of Center Mall that killed Codiamat and Facullo. Lumdang then chased the two armed men who fired at him upon his order for them to stop. He then fired back killing both.

On August 27, the body of Byron Silot Gaspar, 21, a taxi driver and a resident of Brgy. Quirino Hill, here, was found at the Bureau of Plant Industry Compound with two gunshot wounds. Hold-up robbery is doubted as only his earnings were taken by the unidentified assailant(s) while his wallet, cellular phone and wrist watch remained with him. He hailed from Lamag, Quirino, Ilocos Sur.

MBTELA reacted to a news story in a local daily saying that the August 14 killings would ignite a tribal war between the affected Mountain Province tribes. A BCPO intelligence report allegedly pointed to an impending tribal war if the double homicide incident was not resolved amicably.

Another elder disclosed that accounts in the police blotter and the police journal carry different angles of the cause of the killings. Likewise, he said, newspaper accounts do not jibe with the recollection of eyewitnesses.

He said that the MBTELA called an emergency meeting on August 27 and discussed ways at curbing the unnecessary break out of tribal conflict. He disclosed that no tribal war exists between the tribes to which the killed civilians belonged.

The Belwang tribe also gathered last week and asked barangay officials in Pinget to urge the city council to pass a resolution for an urgent impartial investigation.

As these developed, a man from Bangnin in Bauko town, also in Mountain Province was shot at the People’s Park on Wednesday, August 31. # Lyn V. Ramo for NORDIS

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