(Eagle News) — The Department of the Interior and Local Government has called out 61 local government units for what it said was their non-compliance with the mandatory representation of indigenous people in local legislative councils.
Interior Secretary Eduardo Año gave two provinces, 14 municipalities, and 51 barangays until May 3 to explain why they have no Indigenous People’s Mandatory Representatives (IPMRs) as mandated by Section 16 of the Indigenous People’s Rights Act.
According to the DILG, IP representation is also mandated in National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) Administrative Order 2021-01, which amends NCIP AO 2018-03 or the Revised National Guidelines for the Mandatory Representation of Indigenous Peoples in Local Councils and Policy-making Bodies.
The agency said the DILG called the LGUs out after receiving a letter from NCIP chair Allen Capuyan on the non-compliant LGUs.
“Ang mga karapatan ng mga IP ay nasa batas at dapat nating sundin ang batas. Sila ay bahagi ng ating kasaysayan at kultura,”Año said.
According to the Interior Secretary, no funds are being allocated for the salaries of IPMR in these 67 LGUs.
They are also not being recognized as representatives, the DILG said.
“Dapat natin silang hayaang lumahok sa ating mga gawaing pangkomunidad at pakinggan ang kanilang panig sa mga usaping pang-LGU,” he added.