By ADELA DEYAEN WAYAS
www.nordis.net

BAGUIO CITY — Monday, before a small party of supporters and members of the press, Chair Mailed Molina of the Cordillera People’s Liberation Army (CPLA) hits what he claimed was the New Peoples Army (NPA) view of genuine regional autonomy.

Integrated into the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the CPLA is a clandestine para-military group whose original members split from the NPA in 1986. They forged a Sipat with the Cory Aquino government in Mt. Data that same year and have since been assisting government forces in their anti-insurgency campaigns.

On the 24th Celebration of the Cordillera Bodong Administration’s Sipat and Alasiw (peace accord) with the late President Cory Aquino, Molina in his speech at the CBA office in Harrison Road, said that the revolution during the 1980s is the root and basis of autonomy in the Cordillera.

Molina also said that the autonomy the NPAs are pushing is a mistake. “Ti panagkita gamin ti CPP-NPA class struggle wenno dasig ti usaren ditoy Cordillera,” he said. He also added, “Ti kayat ti NPA dasig-dasigen da ti tattao, paglalabanen da ida.”

Molina said “the three “isms” or imperialism, bureaucrat capitalism and the feudalism that the NPAs are claiming as the main problems are not even existing especially in his province of Abra, but he was not very sure in the other provinces in the Cordillera.

“Dagijay issue nga ipakpakat ti kakailian tayo nga adda pay laeng iti kameng ti CPP-NPA, kadakami nga CPLA haan kami nga mamati,” he said. “Ditoy Kordilyera haan unay nga maiggeman ti pupulitikos dagiti tattao,” he added.

He shared that because of these beliefs of the NPA, the CPLA decided to quit and depart from them. He also quoted “Ipagna tayo ti genuine autonomy based on our culture”.

Molina also recalled that there were more than 70 people who were killed in their campaign of autonomy. He said that even if there was no formal peace pact yet between them and the government many already in their ranks were killed because of autonomy like Basbasan, Steve Gawinen, Alfredo Gasib and Ka Moro.

Meanwhile, CBA reiterated that on September 13, 1986 President Aquino (on behalf of the government) and Fr. Conrado Balweg (on behalf of the CBA-CPLA) signed a peace accord represented in the Sipat (cessation of hostilities) and alasiw (exchange of peace tokens) where they acknowledged the aspiration of regional autonomy.

Molina also reacted on the issue regarding the defunct CAR Bodies and said “Linteg met ti CAR bodies apay ngay nga maikkat.” Moreover, he said that a budget given by the national government is intended for the autonomy campaign in which he also said “ Bakit hindi pa i-share sa iba.”

On a lighter note, CBA-CPLA celebrated the peace accord which Atty Nestor Attitiw, Interim Cordillera Interests Group chair and counsel, signified as a peace warming up of the old agreement.

On the other hand, as of press time there has been no information, statement or claims to the effect that the NPA is pushing for autonomy. # nordis.net