BAGUIO City Mayor Maurico Domogan denied that he blocked Roger Sinot as Indigenous Peoples Mandatory Representative (IPMR) in the City Council.
Domogan said there is also no truth in talks that a majority of council members is opposing the embattled IPMR’s assumption because of ethic affiliations.
“This is an unfair accusation,” Domogan said.
The chief executive said the section process of Sinot must be looked into as well as his qualifications to sit as the Indigenous People’s (IP) representative of the entire city.
“The procedure in the selection should be studied, is he a representative of the IP’s, we are not talking about just one tribe,” Domogan said.
Domogan also cited budgetary considerations as well as manpower and office space to be considered for the inclusion of an IPMR in city hall.
Last year, over 300 gathered at the Avong Ibaloi Heritage Garden at Burnham Park, on October 6 for the selection of vacancy of the IPMR facilitated by the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP).
Domogan has been firm in his stand that the process of selection has excluded other IPs confining the voting and selection to the Ibaloi group.
Recently, Ibaloi elders have endorsed Roger Sinot to the city council in a bid to assert his selection as Indigenous Peoples Representative.
The bid of Roger Sinot to occupy the IPMR seat in the local council was backed by Isabelo Cosalan Sr. Council of Elders of the Baguio Ancestral Land Claimants, Evelyn Miranda, President of the Metro Baguio Tribal Elders and Leaders Assembly with members Kathleen Okubo and Bong Suello who implored to allow Sinot to take his place in the august body.
The local council advised the elders to get the certificate of affirmation from the NCIP to finally fill the seat of IPMR for the city, but the body declined to swear in Sinot without the papers.