NEWLY-chosen Indigenous People's Mandatory Representative (IPMR) Cherry Ann Codilla refuted the claim of the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) and said she has the documents to prove her tribal lineage.
Codilla said in an interview with reporters Tuesday, May 22, that her lineage was validated and she was found qualified for the position of IPMR even before her proclamation.
Codilla said she underwent another validation last week just for the sake of her affirmation as the new IPMR.
This re-validation was ordered by the NCIP regional office, as the same office had raised concerns particularly whether or not she has Bagobo-Klata blood, as it is part of requirement satisfied by IPMR before he/she can sit.
"Before the selection process, I was validated thrice. When I entered as Talaukom in our Barangay, I was validated by NCIP with the elders. You cannot be chosen as one of the Talaukom (tribal council) if you are not from Bagobo-Klata. NCIP conducted another validation with the community with the presence of almost 200 members of the community. Before the selection at Almacen, on the spot (there was a validation) with all the Klata Tribe was there, those who are not from Bagobo Klata are asked to return home because they cannot be allowed to join. If I am not a Klata member they should have made objections long ago," Codilla said.
Codilla said that her grandfather from her mother's side is pure-blooded Bagobo-Klata, who married a woman with roots from Bohol. Due to this she can only push her claim from her grandfather side.
She said that her mother, who is the current Deputy Mayor of Bagobo-Klata Herminia Ortiz, has 50 percent Bagobo-Klata blood, which means she is 25 percent Bagobo-Klata and is qualified.
"Now they are making issue that my grandfather is Ovu-Manuvu, when in fact we have the document that will show that he is indeed a Bagobo-Klata," she said.
She said that the re-validation conducted once again by NCIP with the tribal elders proved that her grandfather is pure Bagobo-Klata.
In previous report, NCIP issued a memorandum circular stating that the geneological data submitted to them did not match the official records of NCIP particularly on Ortiz's great grandparents, the clan of Pandian and Buisan. NCIP said that the names Pandian and Buisan did not appear to Bagobo-Klata Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title claimbook, stating that the name Pandian appears in the Bagobo-Tagabawa masterlist while the name Buisan appears in the Ubo-Manuvu CADT masterlist.
Another concern raised by NCIP is that an IPMR must be fluent in their tribe's dialect and a duly acknowledged leader of Bagobo Klata Indigenous Cultural Communities (ICC).
In this regard, chief of staff of Codilla, Tribal Chieftain Marvin Amigo of Los Amigos said that during the selection, the elders agreed that they will not be strict on the fluency of speaking the dialect since "actions" and good deeds that the leader can give to the tribe is among the main qualification they are looking for.
IPMR representative of Barangay Angalan Emmie Adalan also admitted that many of those who are from Bagobo-Klata are not 100 percent fluent speaker of the dialect, since many of their neighbors are speaking vernacular, and they use their language only in speaking to other tribe members.
Considering this, the elders also agreed that IPMR candidates should not be necessarily fluent with the dialect but atleast knew of its basics. While the elders of 35 barangays approved of this, NCIP did not change the local guideliness.
Amigo said that it was as if the NCIP is not listening to their voice. Amigo said that upon the decision on the final qualifications that day, April 12, Codilla was declared as IPMR with 241 votes.
This was witnessed by the local government offices, and even the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG).
Adalan alleged that NCIP has its own bet for IPMR which was not favored, reason why they are asking for this re-validation.
Codilla is now asking NCIP to finally give the COA because for over a month now volunteers under the office of IPMR are not paid, and their projects are still on hold. They cannot make a single move to serve people IPs not just Bagobo-Klata pending the COA which NCIP must issue before she can take oath.
She said that she is now waiting for the results of the re-alidation as she is eager to file her position paper after the results are released.