DAVAO City Indigenous Peoples' Mandatory Representative (IPMR) Rodolfo Mande said that his term has been extended again while waiting for the new City IPMR from the Bagobo-Klata tribe to take over.
In a media interview, Mande said that the documents for the next IPMR are still being prepared and are currently with the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) office. He explained that they are finalizing the documents to be attached, which will then be sent to the Office of the City Mayor.
“Na-grant sa akoa ang one month holdover, according sa approved sa national naa koy one month approved hangtud nga dili pa mupasok ang bag-ong IPMR (I was granted a one-month holdover according to what was approved by the national office. I have one month approved until the new IPMR assumes office),” Mande said on Tuesday, March 4, 2025, at the Sangguniang Panlungsod.
He added that his holdover as City IPMR would end on March 11, 2025, and hopefully, by that time, the new IPMR from the Bagobo-Klata would be able to assume office. However, he cannot confirm if this will be possible until both NCIP and Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte approve the new IPMR.
Mande expressed that there is already one nominee from the Bagobo-Klata tribe who is currently serving as a Barangay IPMR in Biao Eskwela, Tugbok District. He said that the Bagobo-Klata tribe conducted a validation on February 14, 2025, in Catalunan Pequeño.
Mande had previously said on January 7, 2025, that he filed for a holdover status while waiting for his successor. His term was originally set to end on January 10, 2025. However, he requested a one-month extension from NCIP-Davao to allow more time for the selection process.
According to Mande, his successor should come from the Bagobo-Tagabawa tribe. However, since the Bagobo-Klata tribe missed their turn, the next representative will be from the Bagobo-Klata.
To recall, Bai Cherry Ann Codilla, the previous Bagobo-Klata representative, was disqualified by the NCIP due to insufficient genealogical qualifications. In June 2018, NCIP Regional Director Geroncio Aguio presented the negative revalidation results of Codilla’s genealogy to the city council.
The City IPMR is chosen on a rotational basis among 11 ethnolinguistic tribes: Ata, Bagobo-Klata, Bagobo-Tagabawa, Obu Manuvu, and Matigsalug, as well as Moro groups Tausug, Sama, Iranun, Maguindanaoan, Maranao, and Kagan.
The IPMR position is mandated by Republic Act No. 8371, also known as the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA), which ensures the participation of Indigenous Peoples in decision-making processes. The 1987 Philippine Constitution, Article XIV, Section 17, further recognizes the rights of Indigenous Peoples to preserve and develop their traditions, cultures, and institutions. RGP