BAGUIO CITY — An anti-corruption advocate has sought the help of the Kalinga Bodong Council (peace pact council), saying she fears for her life after exposing alleged multi-billion peso ghost projects and systemic corruption in the province.
Natividad P. Bayubay, a former Department of Education superintendent and lead advocate of the group Save Kalinga, said she has been marked for death following her public allegations against a former high-ranking provincial official.
In a complaint dated 13 February 2026, accompanied by a notarized Affidavit of Denial, Bayubay detailed her concern for her personal safety.
Recently, former Kalinga Congressman Allen Jesse Mangaoang said he faced an active assassination threat, reportedly involving a gun-for-hire. Social media commentary allegedly linked the threat to the dismissal of an employee, which Bayubay says refers to her recent termination.
The threats follow Bayubay’s campaign against what she calls the province’s infrastructure crisis. Save Kalinga filed graft complaints with the Ombudsman regarding P279 million in contracts allegedly awarded to firms owned by the former representative’s family. The group also raised concerns over the P5.5-billion Chico River Mega Dike, citing discrepancies between the promised flood defense system and the fragmented walls actually constructed.
Bayubay is appealing to the Kalinga Bodong System, a centuries-old indigenous justice mechanism. She asked the council to end malicious insinuations, convene tribal mediation to protect her family, and prevent tribal law from being used for political maneuvering.
The whistleblower’s plea highlights a climate of fear in the region. Bayubay warned that the rhetoric puts her at risk of vigilante violence or pre-emptive retaliation.
While Mangaoang has dismissed the allegations as a smear campaign, Bayubay maintains that her push for transparency has made her a target.