12 May | The National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) Chairperson & R13 joined through Zoom by Central Office Officers conducted Ancestral Domain (AD) Leaders engagement meeting with the Manobo Indigenous Cultural Communities/Indigenous Peoples (ICCs/IPs) from Lianga, SDS, CARAGA at the Agusan Del Norte Provincial Training Center, Capitol Grounds, Butuan City.

 

NCIP Chairperson led the activity along with NCIP XIII Region Director Ordonio P. Rocero, Jr.; while Chairman Lipatuan Joel Unad represented Mindanao Indigenous Council of Elders and Leaders (MIPCEL); also present were Elders and Tribal Leaders and NCIP Regional and Provincial staff. The rest joined the meeting through Zoom.

The discussions tackled the alleged irregularities in the selection process of Indigenous People Mandatory Representative (IPMR) for Barangay San Isidro and Municipality of Lianga, Surigao Del Sur.

 

Chairperson advised IP leaders to submit a formal written report detailing the grounds for disqualification of selected IPMRs in the mentioned areas; he also instructed NCIP Provincial Office (PO) to submit a documentation of the selection process as NCIP Regional Office’s basis of assessment.