width=
- Advertisement -

By Ben Serrano,
Correspondent

Lawan-Lawan, LAS NIEVES, Agusan del Norte — Averting yet another tribal conflict, representatives from the provincial government, the municipal government, and the 401st Infantey Brigade commander Col. Alexander Macario, and the lumads sat down for peace dialogue, here on Saturday.

- Advertisement -

A peace pact was reached among conflicting top Higaonon leaders with Eddie “Datu Bawang” Am-piyawan who is chairperson of Higa-onon Water System Association (HIWASA) and Higa-onon Livelihood Association, on the other side and Datu Ronald Manho-mosay who is now Indigenous Peoples’ representative to Las Nieves Municipal Council thus earning a title as Municipal Councilor and Lawan-Lawan Barangay Captain More Migduyan who is also a Higa-onon tri-bal leader, leading the other opposing tribal group.

The more than three hours peace dialogue where all opposing parties given time by Col. Macario acting as moderator.

All three top Higanon leaders, Datu Bawang, Datu Manhomosay and Barangay Captain More Migduyan agreed to forget their differences and disagreements.

They also called on their supporters and followers present at the dialogue to stop sowing intrigues and total stop of accusing each other that they are conniving and supporting New People’s Army rebels in the area who are also members of the tribes

They vowed that instead of fighting each other, they will fight common enemy which is abject poverty that leads to illiteracy and under development of their tribal communities. They declared not war among themselves but war against poverty and ignorance.

In a speech at the peace dialogue here, Philippine Army’s 401st Infantry Brigade commander Col. Alexander Macario told participants of the peace dialogue attended by some 200 residents in the area that his military deputies and officials including enlisted men and women under his command wanted to turn Lawan-Lawn into bastion of peace and development not of insurgents.

Macario said that in the early 80’s up to the late 90’s, Lawan-Lawan because of its strategic mountain ranges location connecting provinces of Misamis Oriental, Surigao del Sur, Agusan del Norte and Agusan del Sur had been the bastion of communist insurgents.

 

Disclaimer

Mindanao Gold Star Daily holds the copyrights of all articles and photos in perpetuity. Any unauthorized reproduction in any platform, electronic and hardcopy, shall be liable for copyright infringement under the Intellectual Property Rights Law of the Philippines.

- Advertisement -