Brief History of the Cordillera Peace Process

The CCP/NPA movement entered the Cordilleras first through the Province of Ifugao in 1970, then moved to the other provinces of Cordillera. Many native Cordillerans joined the movement for various reasons. In 1974 there were already company size formations. A larger and enhanced idea of autonomy resurrected in 1986 particularly among members of the Lumbaya Company of the NPA stationed in Kalinga. Under the leadership of Ka-Ambo (Fr. Conrado Balweg, SVD) a Tinguian from Abra and then the political officer of the Lumbaya Company, the Cordillera People’s Liberation Army was formed in March 1, 1986 with the twin purposes to defend the Cordillera homeland and its people and to push for the Cordillera autonomy. It was able to get the open support of many cadres and tribal leaders and members in the Cordillera. It formally split from the CPP/NPA on April 7, 1986 due to ideological and tactical differences.

There were discrimination in CPP and NPA against cadres and fighters from indigenous peoples ranked among Cordillera natives and the vision of an indigenous people’s army.  Several days from declaration of independence from the CPP, the CPA finally named the Cordillera People’s Liberation Army (CPLA) and final thread of linkage with the NPA as served as the CPLA also seeded from the NPA. Traditional collective leadership was preserved in the CPLA during this period. These events heeded the call of then President Aquino for peace and reconciliation.

In the year 1986, President Corazon C. Aquino, in a gesture of national reconciliation has ordered the conduct of peace negotiations with the CPLA with the objective of forging a ceasefire agreement. Finally, on September 13, 1986, the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the Cordillera People’s Liberation Army (CPLA) signed a Joint Memorandum of Agreement signifying both groups’ commitment to a cessation of hostilities.

The issuance of Executive Order (EO) 220 series of 1987 was the direct result of the GRP-CPLA peace agreement (Mt. Data Accord) and negotiations for granting the insurgents an acceptable degree of autonomy pending Congress’ creation of an organic act for the Cordillera autonomous Region (CAR). In 1990, Congress enacted a law creating CAR (RA 6766) however in a succeeding referendum only Ifugao agreed to comprise this Autonomous Region. The remaining provinces of Abra, Benguet, Mountain Province, Kalinga and Apayao wanted to retain their administrative status under the national government. In 1998, (RA 8438, 1997) only Apayao voted in favor of the autonomy.

On August 31, 2001, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo issued Administrative Order (AO) 18, providing for the integration of qualified members of the CPLA into the AFP.