CORDILLERA bodies created to prepare the region into an autonomous territory maintains it should be them promoting the idea of autonomy, not the Regional Development Council.
In a letter to Baguio City Mayor Mauricio Domogan, lawyer Nelson Atitiw, counsel of the dissolved Cordillera bodies reiterated the RDC's undertaking of a campaign for the passage of a third organic act involves a serious legal question.
Reacting over the mayor's recent speaking engagement concerning his campaign that the Cordillera should now be an autonomous region, Atitiw predicted the campaign will fail again because the people of the Cordilleras "do not like being dictated upon."
Atitiw also suggested that in the drafting of the third organic act, the inductive method should be adopted. He said the method means, contents of the third organic act should emanate from the people.
"The contents of the organic act should come from the people, not from politicians or elite groups and then merely explained or consulted with those in the grassroots."
Atitiw said if those promoting autonomy explore the inductive method, the public which earlier rejected the two organic acts will adopt the third.
Atitiw maintains the RDC's arrogation of powers of the CAR bodies to itself is allegedly illegal.
In an earlier report, RDC chairman Juan Ngalob said former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo issued an administrative order allowing the body to continue the campaign on autonomy.
Atitiw maintains, the Cordillera bodies were not dissolved but were merely deactivated. (Rimaliza Opiña)