The National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) in Davao hopes to name the new Indigenous Peoples Mandatory Representation (IPMR) in the city before the mid-term elections.
“Hopefully by February we have names for the final selection,” NCIP Regional Director Geroncio Aguio III said on Tuesday. “Before the election campaign period, we will have a meeting with the provincial commission to discuss the status of selection.”
The NCIP disqualified Bai Cherry Ann Codilla who was elected as the IPMR last year, citing her lack of genealogical qualification. Aspirants are required to have at least 25% of Klata genealogy to be qualified, which Codilla reportedly failed.
A conflict between the NCIP and the Bagobo Klata tribe delayed the selection of the legitimate IPRM.
With this, former IPMR Councilor Bai Halila Sudagar took over the vacated spot in a holdover capacity. The NCIP directed her to act as IP representative from June 30, 2018 to November 30, 2018 or “until her successor is duly selected whichever comes first in the community of Davao City.”
But Sudagar is running as city councilor in the second district in the upcoming elections.
Aguio said the NCIP XI will make sure that the IPMR post will not be emptied, whatever the result of Sudagar’s plan to run as councilor.
Last November, the NCIP XI received advisory from the city council requiring them to submit full list of Council of Elders with Klata bloodline only.
The NCIP XI is on the process of strictly validating Certificate of Confirmation (COC) of the Council of Elders or Talaukom members to make sure that all members belong to the Klata clan.
