BAGUIO CITY — A regional advocacy group is calling for an immediate end to a resurgent tribal war between the Betwagan tribe of Sadanga, Mountain Province, and the Butbut tribe of Tinglayan, Kalinga, urging both sides to abandon hostilities and pursue lasting peace.

The Movement for the Advancement of Inter-Tribal Unity and Development (MAITUD) said the ongoing conflict stems from an ancestral boundary dispute involving overlapping property claims.

They cited that traditional boundary lines established under customary law, known as pagta, had successfully maintained peace between the tribes until the turn of the century.

To recall, the initial conflict erupted in 2000, triggered primarily by logging activities conducted by residents of Barangay Bugnay — a Butbut sub-tribe — within Betwagan territory.

The ensuing warfare lasted until 2012, severely damaging local economies, disrupting education, and resulting in 10 deaths.

Six people were killed on the Butbut side, while four were killed and one was injured on the Betwagan side.

Peace was restored following over a decade of mediation by neutral groups, including the Binodngan Peoples Organization and the Cordillera Peoples Alliance.

Tribal leaders Martin Gayudan of the Butbut and Tangkiao of the Betwagan formalized a peace pact that allowed residents to return to farming and schools safely for nearly a decade.

However, the war reignited due to two primary catalysts.

First, a government cadastral survey conducted by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources placed Mount Ikar — an area claimed by the Betwagan — within the boundary of Bugnay.

Betwagan residents rejected the survey, arguing it ignored traditional boundaries set by the pagta.

Second, friction escalated when Bugnay residents began grazing cattle on the disputed mountain, defying Betwagan demands to remove the livestock.

Intervention efforts by MAITUD, the provincial Indigenous Peoples Mandatory Representative, the Anglican Church, and local Catholic clergy failed after the tribes could not agree on a face-to-face meeting venue.

Negotiations were completely halted when mediators detected signs of an impending tribal raid.

Full hostilities reopened in July 2020 when the Betwagan tribe launched an attack on Bugnay. Despite subsequent intervention attempts by the Philippine National Police, the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Regional Law Enforcement Coordinating Committee, the violence has persisted.

A peace offering in October 2024 by prominent Butbut elder Lakay Banag Sinumlag was rejected by the Betwagan tribe.

The current conflict has replicated the devastation of the first war. Casualties continue to mount, with three dead and six wounded reported on the Butbut side, and three dead and five wounded on the Betwagan side.

Additionally, three police officers were injured by balais — defensive spear traps installed by Bugnay residents.BAGUIO CITY — A regional advocacy group is calling for an immediate end to a resurgent tribal war between the Betwagan tribe of Sadanga, Mountain Province, and the Butbut tribe of Tinglayan, Kalinga, urging both sides to abandon hostilities and pursue lasting peace.

The Movement for the Advancement of Inter-Tribal Unity and Development (MAITUD) said the ongoing conflict stems from an ancestral boundary dispute involving overlapping property claims.

They cited that traditional boundary lines established under customary law, known as pagta, had successfully maintained peace between the tribes until the turn of the century.