Will this be the end of Butbut-Betwagan conflict?

Tabuk City, Kalinga – The decade-long conflict between the sub-tribes Butbut in Tinglayan and Betwagan in Sadanga is nearing its resolution, with elders working on peace negotiations to push through.

Following the exchange of tokens known in the local dialect as ‘Sipat’ at the 5th Infantry Division Philippine Army in Gamu Isabela on January 19, the ‘Sipat’ holders of both tribes visited Kalinga Governor James Edduba on Wednesday, February 21, to inform him of their plans regarding the issue.

According to the governor, Mr. Derealean Lucian Fosawil of the Betwagan sub-tribe and Mr. Benito Annaway of the Butbut sub-tribe told him the two warring sub-tribes have already agreed to end their dispute by agreeing to hold the Sipat.

“This signifies the cessation of conflict between the two tribes and signals the resumption of peace talks and conflict resolution initiatives,” the governor informed, referring to the development as an ‘unexpected beautiful natal gift’.

‘Sipat’ is a traditional Cordilleran method to prevent violent clashes between warring tribes through the exchange of tokens. If an exchange of tokens is made, it signifies an agreement to cease hostilities, allowing peace negotiations to proceed.

Witnessing the conversation were former barangay captain Jaime Guyang of Colayo, Pasil, Kalinga, and Mr. Basilio Baggas, an elder from the Butbut sub-tribe.

To recall, Mayor Sacrament Gumilab of Tinglayan also conveyed in an earlier interview that he already requested elders facilitating the Sipat to meet with people from the Butbut sub-tribe to inform them of the development and request respect for the ‘Sipat’ process.

According to Gumilab, adherence to the protocols of the Sipat is needed for the peace negotiation to push through and for the collective efforts of the government and elders to not go to waste.

However, the schedule for the commencement of peace talks was not divulged by the mayor, as it is still up for discussion.

History of the boundary dispute

The boundary dispute between the two sub-tribes was said to have started in 2001. It was later solved through a peace pact in 2007, but again, a disagreement arose in 2019.

In February 2020, an agreement to maintain peace was violated due to a gunshot incident.

The Police Regional Office-Cordillera (PRO-COR) later started several peace talks in an effort to resolve the conflict.

Nevertheless, the peace negotiations did not yield much success since the Butbut sub-tribe decided to declare some of the high-ranking police officers as persona non grata in their place. This was because the police officials were accused of demolishing a civilian outpost on the disputed boundary.

A series of discussions were still pursued and earlier this year, both parties agreed on the Sipat with elders, various national-line agencies, and local officials facilitating the mediation process.