Lumads can now settle own dispute

DAVAO. Committee on cultural communities and Muslim affairs Councilor Bai Halila Sudagar. (Macky Lim)
DAVAO. Committee on cultural communities and Muslim affairs Councilor Bai Halila Sudagar. (Macky Lim)

THE indigenous peoples (IPs) in Davao City can now settle dispute in their own traditional way as the City Council approved the IP alternative dispute resolution ordinance.

Committee on cultural communities and Muslim affairs Councilor Bai Halila Sudagar said in an interview Tuesday, January 8 that this will only be applicable to crimes with less than six months penalty or the compromising cases only.

Violence against women and children (VAWC), murder, rape, among others will not be accommodated in the IP conflict resolution.

“This ordinance aims to restore the IP way of settling disputes and in a way a help in order to preserve their culture and is a way to declog cases before the court,” Sudagar said.

She further said that the ordinance will be effective 15 days after its publication.

Prior to the passage of the ordinance, the office of Sudagar already coordinated with the Fiscal, City Prosecutor’s Office, and the personnel of the Department of Justice (DOJ) and said complainants will have the option on where to settle the conflict.

“The main goal is to preserve the IP way of conflict resolution and culture. We should give them the chance for independence in handling cases filed in their office and in the case where it cannot be resolved anymore, that is the time where they can resort to the wisdom of the Lupong Tagapamayapa,” Sudagar said.

“Kung gusto nila IP way, okay lang. Kung gusto nila na Lupong Tagapamayapa, naa pud (If they want the IP way of conflict resolution, it is okay. If they want it to be settled by the Lupong Tagapamayapa, they could also do that),” she added.

The barangay captain and the Lupong Tagapamayapa will be given a copy of resolved cases within the IP community.

The Office of the Cultural Community Affairs and the deputy mayors will be the one to monitor the cases in the IP community. In the case where the involved individuals do not have the same tribe, they will have their case settled by the Lupong Tagapamayapa.

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