The City Council passed on first reading Tuesday the resolution re-affirming Datu Demetrio Bolo as the Indigenous Peoples Mandatory Representative (IPMR).
Councilor Alberto Ungab, who chairs the committee on appointments and government reorganization, pressed for the measure.
The IPMR post at the City Council has been vacant since June due to the squabble between the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) and Cherry Ann Ortiz-Codilla, who was initially voted by the Bagobo-Klata Indigenous Cultural Communities but was later disqualified by the NCIP.
Ungab presented to his colleagues at the City Council the certificate issued by the NCIP, through Region XI Director Atty. Geroncio Aguio, affirming Bolo as the IPMR who will represent the Lumads in the city as representative to the City Council.
The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), through City Director Vicky Sarcena, and Assistant City Administrator lawyer Dwight Domingo also endorsed Bolo as the IPMR.
Last year, the NCIP did not affirm Codilla, citing her lack of mandatory genealogical qualification. Codilla petitioned her disqualification before the court, which is currently pending.
With this, the NCIP directed outgoing IPMR Bai Halila Sudagar of the Kagan tribe to hold her post via holdover capacity from August 2018-June 2019.
Sudagar ran in the last elections seeking for a second district council post. She failed to win.
Bolo was selected as the IPMR last May 23 in a questioned election.
