Robredo wants IP representation prioritized by LGUs

The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) on Tuesday reminded the local government officials about the equal legislative rights of indigenous communities in the country. In a memorandum circular, Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo ordered provincial governors, city and municipal mayors, and other local government officials to observe the provisions under Republic Act 8371, or the Indigenous Peoples (IP) Rights Act of 1997. The law requires for a mandatory representation of IPs in local legislative councils and policy-making bodies. It also allows IPs to maintain and develop their own indigenous political structures. “IP representation shall be proportionate to population, and shall have the same privileges as the regular representations in legislative and policy-making bodies," said Robredo. An IP representative, chosen based on local guidelines adopted and promulgated by concerned IPs, can serve for three consecutive three-year terms. As a representative, he or she should communicate the collective interest of IPs that he or she represents. He or she should also maintain the development and practice of their traditional leadership titles and structures, justice systems, conflict resolution, and peace building mechanisms and processes. Regional directors of the DILG have already been tasked if the local governments are complying with the memo and are giving representation to the country's indigenous people. Last October 25, grassroots polls were held in around 40,000 of the country's 42,000 villages. Meanwhile, elections did not push through in the remaining 2,000 vilages and were instead reset to other dates. - Mark Dalan Meruenas/KBK, GMANews.TV