GINGOOG City ― The National Commission of the Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) has failed to deliver a “win-win” solution over the land dispute between Mandokita and Pinagawa clans during the whole-day inter-agency community and consultation held here yesterday.
However, NCIP-10 Regional Director Atty. Leslie Mae F. Plaza said they would be scheduling another round of dialogues to resolve the dispute soon.
Plaza added that NCIP Chairman Secretary Allen Capuyan wanted the conflict to be resolved in a peaceful way but both parties did not agree during the dialogue which turned into a heated argument and emotionally charged meeting.
Capuyan presided over the meeting with City Mayor Erick G. Cañosa, Lt. Col. Christian Uy of the 58th Infantry Batallion, Provincial Police Director Col. Gonzalo C. Villamor, and other representatives from other government agencies.
More than 100 tribe members and datus, including rebel returnees, attended the meeting, according to Gingoog City Chief of Police Lt. Col.Cecilio Q. Orcullo.
For his part, Cañosa also wanted the land dispute resolved peacefully.
They (Mandokitas) were represented thru Board Member Allan Mandokita Indigenous People Mandatory Representative IPMR of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan.
The Mandokitas proposed to give the land area of 175 hectares plus 86 hectares of land which is located inside the ancestral domain to the Pinagawa Clan said Cenro Roel Dahunog of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Gingoog Office.
The Pinagawa Clan turned down the offer, Plaza said.
“Ngano kami man hatagan (nga) amo man na (nga) yuta,” Datu Sayogamon (Vicente Pinagawa) blurted out.
The disputed land is located in the barangays of Eureka of Gingoog City and in Barangay Minalwang of Claveria town, said Dahonog.
It was learned that the land dispute covers about 613 hectares of arable land.
