Kalinga wants no settlement for rape

BAGUIO CITY — The group in charge of helping in the settling of disputes between different tribes in Tabuk City, Kalinga stressed that heinous crimes especially rape should never be settled amicably. Instead the culprit be meted appropriate punishment under the law.

This is the response of the Matagoan Bodong Consultative Council (MBCC) to the appeal of the Tabuk City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) that rape should never be included in the list of cases being reminded endorsed for amicable settlement.

CSWDO Officer III Vilma Palma said that the objective of the agency is to protect the rights and welfare of the victim. She stressed that if cases of rape will be amicably settled, there is a big chance that the perpetrator will do it again.

“Bodong” is an agreement or agreements between tribes being used by the tribes in Kalinga and other provinces of the Cordillera Region in settling their disputes to avert the escalation of tribal wars. MBCC chairman Andres Ngao-i said they are only intervening in cases in accordance to the preference of the victims and their families in resolving issues between them.

The City Legal Office stated that serious crimes like rape should not be settled amicably as such crimes involved public interest and it is the duty of the state to prosecute the perpetrators.