BAGUIO CITY—In an effort to prevent “reverse discrimination,” Mayor Mauricio Domogan has asked the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples and the Department of the Interior and Local Government to address the various issues surrounding the selection of the Indigenous Peoples Mandatory Representative to the City Council.
The NCIP and DILG must clarify how IPMR officers are selected and appointed, especially in localities dominated by indigenous peoples, Domogan said.
On November 4, about 300 IPs, mostly Ibalois, voted Roger Sinot to represent them on the City Council in an election facilitated by the NCIP. However, Sinot has yet to assume office pending orders from both the NCIP and DILG.
Elders of the city-based Ivadoys, Kalanguyas and Kankanaeys are questioning the selection process, saying the event is allegedly a product of “farcical, illegal and serious violation” of the provisions of the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act.
Copies of the protest letters of the representatives of the three IP groups have been furnished the offices of Mayor Domogan, Vice Mayor Edison Bilog, the NCIP and the DILG for their action.
Domogan said there will come a time “that the minorities in the areas dominated by IPs will claim that they are now the ones who are being discriminated, thus, the occurrence of reverse discrimination,” if the concerned local governments will continue to allow the IPMR to occupy a seat in their local legislative body where there are in fact more IP legislators on it.
“We have to make sure on the availability and clarity of the rules governing the selection and appointment of IPMR in localities that are dominated by IPs to avoid suspicion from the minorities that there is reverse discrimination in the said places,” the mayor stressed.
“We do not object to the appointment of the IPMR, but it must pass through the appropriate process which is transparent and clear among those involved,” he added.
IPMR rules should be properly laid down, said Domogan, and the necessary requests by the IPMR and his staff to the local governments should be made to allocate the funds for their salaries, benefits and operating expenses.
The two national bodies should also answer the issues raised by the various IP organizations that felt deprived of their seats on the local councils before issuing any IPMR certificate of affirmation and other documents that would allow the indigenous representative to assume office.
The Ivadoys, Kalanguyas and Kankanaeys believe the selection process on November 4 was designed to suit the interest of a single tribe when there are numerous IP groups in the city.
They say their groups also deserve representation during the process, for their voices to be heard in deliberating the issues related to IPs in the city.