1 killed in tribal conflict over boundary dispute in Mountain Province

Mountain Province. INQUIRER FILES

BAGUIO CITY — A member of the Butbut tribe in Tinglayan, Kalinga was killed after renewed hostilities erupted with the Betwagan tribe of Sadanga, Mountain Province over their longstanding boundary dispute, police said.

The clash occurred on June 27 at Mt. Tummuwad, according to the Kalinga Police Provincial Office, which has since deployed personnel to the area to prevent further escalation.

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The Kalinga provincial government has endorsed the conflict to the Cordillera Regional Peace and Order Council (RPOC) in hopes of finding a lasting solution to the decades-old territorial dispute between the two indigenous communities.

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Local government officials, security forces, and peace advocates have been facilitating dialogues between tribal elders to revive peace efforts and reach a permanent settlement, allowing residents in the disputed area to resume normal activities.

The conflict stems from competing claims over land and water boundaries, particularly around the Mount Ikar area. The dispute intensified in the early 2000s over grazing lands and other resources, eventually leading to the collapse of the traditional peace pact between the two tribes.

Since then, intermittent armed encounters have disrupted farming, trade, and schooling in affected communities. At one point, provincial authorities declared the contested area a no-man’s land under government security to prevent further violence.

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Previous mediation efforts have repeatedly stalled due to conflicting historical claims over the territorial boundary. Betwagan elders have insisted on traditional boundary markers established in the mid-1970s, while Butbut leaders maintain a different interpretation of the ancestral boundaries.

Kalinga Provincial Director Gilbert Fati-ig appealed to the elders and leaders of both tribes to exercise restraint, continue dialogue, and pursue reconciliation.

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“Armed conflict endangers lives and disrupts peace in our communities,” Fati-ig said. /mr

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