Cordillera People's Liberation Army

Cordillera People's Liberation Army
Leader	Conrado Balweg (Founder) Abrenian Melchor Balance (Officer-in-Charge)[1]
Dates of operation	1986 – 2011
Motives	Cordillera autonomy, indigenous rights
Active regions	Philippines
Status	Inactive
Size	About 1,000 (2013)

The Cordillera People's Liberation Army (CPLA) was a militant organization based in the Cordillera region in the Philippines founded by Conrado Balweg.

Background

In 1979, the Itneg Catholic priest Conrado Balweg decided to join the New People's Army of the Communist Party of the Philippines in response of abuses against the Itneg people by the Marcos administration, which wanted to promote the interests of the Cellophil Resources Corporation.[2] Balweg had also been inspired by the heroism of tribal leader Macli-ing Dulag who was killed at around that time. Dulag had opposed the Chico River Dam Project, a plan of the government to build a hydroelectric dam in the Cordilleras.

By the early 1980s, the Armed Forces of the Philippines had tagged Balweg as its most-wanted man, with a bounty of ₱200,000.[3]

As the mid-1980s approached, however, Balweg found increasingly in disagreement with the Communist Party.[3]

Formation

Balweg and fellow priest Bruno Ortega broke away from the NPA and formed the Cordillera People’s Liberation Army (CPLA) in 1986, criticizing the latter for its incompetence in pursuing its goals.[3]

The formation of the CPLA saw the merger of the Tingguian Liberation Force, a splinter group from NPA Abra to form the Cordillera organization.[1] Their goal was to fight for the self-determination of the people of Cordillera.[4]

Mount Data Peace Accord

Main article: Mount Data Peace Accord

In September 13, 1986, the CPLA and the Government of the Philippines made a "sipat" (ceasefire) at Mt. Data Hotel, in Bauko, Mountain Province. The agreement between the two entities was called the 1986 Mount Data Peace Accord.[5][6]

Assassination of Conrado Balweg

Main article: Conrado Balweg

In 1999, the organization's founder, Conrado Balweg, was assassinated by the NPA.[4]

2011 closure agreement

A closure agreement between the CPLA and the Government of the Philippines was signed on July 4, 2011, at the Rizal Hall in Malacañang Palace. The agreement called for the disarmament of the group, the reintegration of the militants into mainstream society and the conversion of the militant group into a socio-economic organization.[7]

Recent history

While the group has stopped armed confrontation, the CPLA remains extant as of 2013, and still campaigns for greater autonomy in the Cordilleras with about 1,000 members.[1]

Several persons had claimed to be the legal representatives of CPLA and has tarnished the image of the group. In 2016, a man named Conrado Dieza misrepresented himself as the Cordillera People’s Liberation Army (CPLA) chair, and Nilo Tayag, purportedly an Aglipayan bishop, used the name of CPLA in soliciting cash, deceiving fellow Filipinos into shelling out a certain amount of money in exchange for government positions and projects, and claiming they have the ears of President Duterte and all senior government officials. Dieza and Tayag misleadingly announced that Environment Secretary Gina Lopez will provide P300 million to the CPLA and DFF, and that they will be appointed to key positions in the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. This is after also announcing that they will be named chair and general manager of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office.[8] However, this contention was defended by the party of Dieza and Tayag.[9] Several factions were also allegedly created to conform with the programs of the Philippine National Government. In 2018, the Cordillera Peoples Liberation Army (CPLA) faction led by Conrado Dieza, Mailed Molina, and Jude Wal was supposed to hold a Regional Federalism Summit at the capitol gym but the DILG Provincial Director, Mayer Adong, said that his office did not recognize the summit as a legitimate activity of the CPLA. Governor Jocel Baac of Kalinga issued then a statement saying that the growing presence of the said CPLA group poses a problem to the peace and order situation in Kalinga and was counterproductive to the campaign for Cordillera autonomy and Federalism. [10]

Numerous leftist groups led by Cordillera People's Alliance accused the CPLA of being backed by the Philippine government after its "sipat" in 1986, citing its integration into the Armed Forces of the Philippines and alleged human rights atrocities while being used by the government for its counter-insurgency program.[11]

References

1. Dumlao, Artemio (31 January 2013). "Rebels still dream of Cordillera's autonomy". The Philippine Star. Archived from the original on March 8, 2023. Retrieved 3 October 2017.
2. Bagadion, Benjamin Jr. (1991 Januar-December). THE RISE AND FALL OF A CRONY CORPORATION. Philippine Sociological Review. Vol. 39, No. 1/4. Philippine Sociological Society. pp. 24-29. https://www.jstor.org/stable/
3. "Priest Turned Rebel killed by Communist Guerrillas Led by Brother". UCA News. January 6, 2000. Retrieved October 3, 2017.
4. "Former Cordillera Rebel Factions Reunited". Cordillera.gov.ph. Archived from the original on 2013-07-17. Retrieved 2013-09-04.
5. Virgilio M Gaje (2012-02-01). "[PIA News] CPLA commemorates Mount Data peace accord". Archives.pia.gov.ph. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved 2013-09-04.
6. "Historical Background of Cordillera's Pursuit for Regional Development and Autonomy". Cordillera.gov.ph. 1991-03-01. Archived from the original on 2013-07-17. Retrieved 2013-09-04.
7. Sinapit, Jaime (2011-07-04). "CPLA disarms for good, inks final pact with Aquino administration". InterAksyon.com. Archived from the original on 2016-03-05. Retrieved 2013-09-04.
8. "Another 'signatory' denies inking DFF's open letter". October 2016. Archived from the original on October 1, 2016.
9. "Photos show CPLA part of DFF". 8 October 2016. Archived from the original on November 10, 2016.
10. "Kalinga officials bar CPLA faction - HERALD EXPRESS | News in Cordillera and Northern Luzon". 27 April 2018. Archived from the original on January 27, 2020.
11. Groups condemn Cordillera Peoples Liberation Army - SunStar Baguio