After pondering on the allegations forwarded to them on three pieces of unnumbered and undated papers signed by 16 individuals, the officers of the La Trinidad Indigenous Peoples Organization (LTIPO) decided to shed light on IP concerns, hoping to put a stop to the harassments and provocations they had been subject to since their election in February.
The allegations written as “whereas” paragraphs in the form of a resolution were crafted as the product of a meeting that was not officially sanctioned by any private or government agency. The “resolution” was received by the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP), Benguet provincial office.
In turn, NCIP Benguet provincial officer Engr. Allan W. Allatis forwarded the controversial resolution to the new batch of LTIPO officers, which was received by the current president, Mr. Marcos L. Anod on September 16, 2024, asking them for their comment.
In response, the LTIPO officers said, these acts against the organization should have already stopped, considering that all these have been rendered moot and academic after all parties shook hands during the “tongtongan” on April 19, 2024.
The unnumbered and undated resolution appealed for the “reinstitution” of the previous batch of LTIPO officers led by Mr. Pendon Thompson, even while he had voluntarily resigned as president on November 14, 2023 when he ran for municipal IPMR or Indigenous Peoples Mandatory Representative but lost.
Relative to Thompson’s resignation as LTIPO president on November 14, 2023; the LTIPO officers and members wondered why he never called for a general assembly to conduct an election.
Instead, he appointed Mr. Florante Miguel as vice president which was a clear violation of the CBL of LTIPO that Thompson keeps talking about. Nowhere does it state in the CBL that a president who resigned can appoint a vice president.
The LTIPO officers noted that if indeed Thompson wanted to follow due process as he always mentioned, he should have immediately filed a petition against the February 29, 2024 election.
This opportunity to file a petition has already been overtaken by events, including the LTIPO activities that Mr. Thompson had attended, which could be understood as a sign of respect or acceptance of the existence of the new set of officers.
The controversial resolution alleged that the constitution and by-laws or CBL of the LTIPO, particularly the process involving holding an election was violated when an assembly of IP members of La Trinidad proceeded to elect a new set of officers.
But contrary to the allegations of violations of election rules, the new LTIPO officers stated in their response to Engr. Allatis and other NCIP officials that the election proceeded only after former Barangay Puguis IPMR Jefferd Zambrano made a motion that the present attendance can constitute a quorum.
Zambrano’s motion was overwhelmingly seconded by a majority of those present. The IP assembly was witnessed by a representative of the NCIP who recorded the minutes of the meeting.
Tongtong
The LTIPO said, majority of those present agreed to the primacy of applying the time-honored customary practice of “tongtong” as the practical way of resolving disagreements among IPs, superior over modern parliamentary rules.
Since the assembly comprised IP elders and leaders from the different barangays, they agreed to suspend the parliamentary rules and employed the “tongtong” which was the basis for proceeding with the election.
To further resolve the disagreement on whether to proceed with the election or not, a member moved for a division of the house. Through “viva voce” or raising of hands, 26 voted to “proceed with the election,” with only four voting against holding an election while 18 abstained.
A day prior to the assembly and election; notices and letters were distributed by La Trinidad IPMR Richard Wacnisen to all the 16 barangays, informing them of the general assembly on February 29, 2024. Furthermore, the event was aired on RPN 9.
Apparently, many were informed but were prevented from attending the event for several reasons known only by them. LTIPO vice president and former Benguet IPMR Recto Alawas also recalled that around 48 individuals were physically present in the assembly.
Meanwhile, it was observed that a part of the third “whereas” paragraph of the unnumbered resolution was untruthful for stating that Thompson forgot to sign the attendance sheet during the assembly. In fact, the said attendance sheet evidently shows that he signed his attendance on page 2, number 24 on February 29, 2024.
On April 19, 2024, Atty. Severino Manuel Lumiqued of the NCIP mediated a “tongtongan” between Thompson and his group and the new set of LTIPO officers. As a result, it was agreed that the new set of officers would be recognized while the existing council of elders and leaders (COE/Ls) would be retained.
Both sides agreed that Thompson would turn over the keys of the LTIPO building, including LTIPO documents and, more importantly, turn over the Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) passbook to the new set of LTIPO officers, while the existing COE/Ls would help amend the CBL and attend meetings for the renegotiation of the 4.5MW Bineng HPP.
The LTIPO response to the letter of Allatis said, the “tongtong” on April 19, 2024 did not materialize as Thompson and his followers continued to “not recognize the new set of officers as obviously manifested by this unnumbered and undated resolution.”
The LTIPO letter response further stated, “Despite the Tongtongan that they themselves (Thompson’s group) coordinated with the NCIP, Mr. Pendon Thompson never turned over the keys of the LTIPO building, properties, documents, and LBP passbook to the new set of officers.”
In fact, the LTIPO officers found out from bank officials that the remaining monies deposited in the LBP account of the LTIPO were hastily withdrawn sometime in February 2024 without the benefit of an LTIPO resolution. The LTIPO response letter asks: “Sir Allatis, may we know who is in violation of rules?”
On May 8, 2024, following the unfulfilled “tongtong,” LTIPO president Anod wrote Thompson to turnover the LTIPO passbook and other documents, followed by another letter on May 20, 2024 from the office of Atty. Roland Calde, NCIP-CAR Regional Director. Thompson did not act on the requests.
Because of the failure of Thompson to adhere to the “tongtongan”, the LTIPO responded to Allatis stating that such acts by Thompson further fortified the election on February 29, 2024 that pushed through under the customary practice of “tongtong/tavtaval”.
As for the retention of the incumbent COE/Ls, LTIPO president Anod had written them through their barangays to inform them that a meeting on June 4, 2024 was scheduled for the amendment of the CBL. An ad hoc committee was formed on the said date.
The LTIPO said that incumbent COE/Ls continued to attend LTIPO meetings although not everyone, due to the fact that some have already passed on. Indeed, there was a need to replace the vacant COE/L positions.
To stick to the “tongtong” of April 19, Mr. Agapito Delmas, one of the past officers of LTIPO, was nominated and voted as chairman to head the CBL ad hoc committee on amendments. The amended CBL is now ready for presentation pending a schedule for an assembly. Nothing is final until it is ratified in a general assembly.
Regarding the ongoing negotiation of the 4.5MW Bineng HPP with HEDCOR, Atty. Lumiqued nominated Mr. Pendon Thompson while the rest of his group are self-nominees or self-appointees as members in the negotiating panel.
Atty. Victor Singa Jr. of Bahong was retained as the head of the negotiating panel. The members are Pendon Thompson, Florante Miguel, Alejandro Vicente, Eduardo Abastilla, Rodel Abelao, Marcos Anod, Recto Alawas, Marcelo Abela, Denver Nabus, and Thaddeus Bernardo.
It was noted that those who self-nominated themselves to the negotiating panel all belonged to the group of Thompson and were never objected to or opposed by the present LTIPO officers in order to avoid further conflicts.
Despite being welcomed to participate in LTIPO meetings and negotiations with HEDCOR, these individuals contradicted their membership in the LTIPO-HEDCOR meetings by participating in the preparation and signing of their unnumbered and undated resolution that wanted to remove the present LTIPO officers and reinstall themselves.
The LTIPO and HEDCOR reached an agreement on September 18, 2024 that was presented to the body in the presence of NCIP representatives.
The LTIPO now asks: “Should the LTIPO-HEDCOR negotiation be declared as invalid due to the misrepresentation done by some members of the negotiating panel?”
By March Fianza