He admitted though that they have been receiving reports about the plan for some time now, but they have not yet received any formal notice about it.
Some IP elders in North Cotabato are reportedly batting for the creation of a separate municipality in some barangays of Kidapawan City that are said to be populated by lumads.
The IP leaders wanted their new town to be called as the Municipality of Apo Sandawa.
The Cotabato Tribal Consultative Council (CTCC), through its 15-member board of trustees, said in a letter to Rep. Bernardo Piñol Jr. that the proposed town will have barangay Ilomavis, now part of Kidapawan, as the seat of government.
CCTC chair Datu Samuel Asicam Sr. said the proposed town shall be composed of barangays adjoining the Mount Apo National Park. These barangays are part of Kidapawan, Makilala and Magpet.
The barangays identified to form part of the new town are Ilomavis, Balabag, Meohao and Perez from Kidapawan City . From Makilala are barangays Buhay, New Israel, Buenavida and Batasan. And from Magpet, the barangays of Don Panaca, Bangkal, Kinarum, Manobo and Bongolanon.
It was learned that Kidapawan was populated by IPs mostly of the Manobo ethnic tribe and few Moros until 1935 when Christian settlers started arriving in the area.
