DAVAO CITY (November 9) — Indigenous Peoples Mandatory Representative (IPMR) Datu Radin Igwas attended the session on Thursday, Nov. 9 on horseback.
This was after Kidapawan City Mayor Joseph Evangelista recalled his government-issued service vehicle.
Igwas was left with no choice but to go back to basics–ride his horse-to attend the Sangguniang Panglungsod regular session in Kidapawan City Thursday, November 8.
A NewsLine.ph source revealed, Evangelista was disheartened when he reportedly learned that Igwas is a friend of his political rival come 2019 local elections.
But Igwas said “I cannot support any candidate because that is prohibited, I am the IPMR and, we are not allowed to dip fingers in any political activity, he is wrong.”
On October 28, Evangelista recalled Igwas service vehicle saying the vehicle will be used by engineering department to monitor projects in the hinterlands and his office be used to house the Office of the Deputy Mayor for the IP affairs.
“Wala may bag-o sa ako, bahala ug walay sakyanan, akoong serbisyohan ang akong kuminidad, naanad na man ako ug sakay ug kabayo kay mao man na ang among sakyanan sa bukid, dili ko maulaw mosakay ug kabayo kay mao na ang among ginabuhi (There is nothing new to me, even without a vehicle, I will continue to serve my community, I am used to ride horse, it is our mode of transport, I am not ashamed to ride horse going to City Hall because that is our life),” Igwas said.
The same date, Datu Igwas’ office also received a letter from the mayor that the space he is currently occupying will now be utilized by the office of the deputy mayor for IP affairs.
Datu Igwas further said that the Tribal leaders, after learning this, they wrote a letter to the acting Mayor Jun Piñol, and thankfuly they got a positive result. Piñol has prepared a memorandum to suspend Mayor Evangelista’s order in order to give time to prepare a new space where Datu Igwas can transfer.
A tribal leader who attended the session but requested anonymity said “Nahinumdom ko, si ex-mayor Gantuangco nihatag anang opisina para sa tribo, apan gibawi ni mayor Evangelista. Gamay kaayo iyang tan-aw sa tribo, nakaminos, ug gidaot lang niya iyang kridito sa tribo, dili man mi politiko (I can still recall, It was then Mayor (Rodolfo) Gantuangco  who provided the office for IPMR, but Evangelista took it back, he is destroying himself before the tribe, we are not politicians).”
Kata, a Manobo, uttered a metaphor referring to mayor Evangelista, “Id lobbog dik tribo.” (He is muddling the tribe.)
Manobo artist Melchor Umpan Bayawan commented “I am perflexed by the leadership of Manobos in Kidapawan city this time. There is only one thing clear to me, somebody is dividing us in the name of politics.We, the Manobos are displaced again, it happened before and it is happening now. Until when shall we remain a diaspora? a second class citizen? Politics, cannot break our heart, it cannot and will not divide us.”-Editha Z. Caduaya/NewsLine.ph
