Davao City Vice Mayor Bernard Al-ag in a press conference on Tuesday, May 29. He urged the National Ccommission on Indigenous People Region 11 to act immediately and resolve the validation of the selected Davao City IP mandatory representative. (Kath M. Cortez/davaotoday.com)
DAVAO CITY, Philippines — Vice Mayor Bernard Al-ag expressed concern over the long-overdue decision on the installation of the city’s new Indigenous Peoples Mandatory Representative (IPMR).
The vice mayor first questioned the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) on its untimely objection to the qualifications of the selected IP mandatory representative Cherry Ann Codilla and for delaying the certificate of affirmation (COA).
Al-ag on his part said that “what’s at stake is the representation of the indigenous people in the council” due to the vacancy of the IPMR post.
Since the vacancy of the IPMR post last March 30 when Councilor Bai Halila Sudagar formally vacated her position as Councilor, Al-ag said there has been no sectoral representative of the indigenous peoples in the decision making of the council for eight consecutive regular council sessions already.
He stressed that it is very unusual to question Codilla’s integrity and honesty only after the selection process where NCIP was present at the time.
He also urged the NCIP to immediately resolve the process of confirmation “because it is not good to know that this is happening. It puts the image of the city in bad a light”.
But Al-ag also clarified that he is not after Codilla’s installation but on the process of choosing the next IPMR of Davao City.
When asked if the Council can intervene in the process of confirmation, Al-ag said that “what he is doing right now is actually intervening with the NCIP’s slow action on Codilla’s case.”
NCIP 11 Regional Director lawyer Geroncio Aguio said the selected Indigenous Peoples Mandatory Representative (IPMR) lacks the mandatory genealogical qualification and cannot be installed into office. (davaotoday.com)
