Right after her first ever speech before the provincial legislature, newly-installed provincial indigenous people’s representative Purita Seguritan was welcomed with a question about the division of Palawan.
A question-turned-direct appeal to support the creation of three provinces, Board Member Cesareo Benedito Jr. asked her to support the so-called “3n1 Palawan” the plebiscite for which is scheduled on May 11 this year.
“Nais ko lang din pong malaman sa atin pong bagong kasamahan kung ano rin po ang kanyang stand tungkol dito kasi tayo po rito sa Provincial Government…ay naandiyan po ang ating buong suporta. Binubuhos po natin ang ating buong kakayanan para po manalo sa May 11, 2020. Para naman malaman din po natin ang stand niya, pero mas maganda po na iisa ang stand natin pangit naman po kung may taliwas doon sa stand ng nakararami,” BM Benedito said during the regular session of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan yesterday, Feb. 11.
IPMR Seguritan gave a seemingly safe answer, “Why shouldn’t I join the cause if it is for the general welfare of our constituents and our province.” It did not delight her eager colleague and she was further asked to state directly her answer—if it is a “Yes!” or “No!” and “why?”
“Parang malabo ang sagot niya kasi ang sagot niya, ‘…kung sa ikabubuti ng nakararami.’ Ang tanong ko, ‘yung ‘Oo!’ o ‘Hindi!’ [sana ang isasagot niya] at kung bakit para maging firm ang sagot. Para sa akin, ang dating ay hindi siya sigurado, parang doon siya sa gitna,” Benedito further said.
Seguritan replied, “[Kung] ‘yung direkta [sagot po mula sa akin], opo! Bakit po naman hindi!”
With her positive answer, BM Benedito said that he is already contented and happy, reiterating that they should be joining hands together in order to win in the upcoming plebiscite.
Her other colleagues also extended their thanks for supporting the government’s efforts.
“Sa akin pong pananaw, siguro hindi naman po nila isusulong ‘yung ganun kung hindi naman ikabubuti pero kasi na’ndoon na rin tayo, na’ndoon na rin ang makipagtulungan,kung ikabubuti lalong-lalo na ‘ yung mga katutubong Palaw’an,” Seguritan said, although she seemed not so firm with her answer, in a separate interview of local media after the regular session adjourned that day.
When asked about her opinion on possible negative impacts in creating new provinces, she hesitantly answered that she still lacks information regarding the said matter.
“Mahirap po kasi ang ano (kalagayan) ko ngayon kasi bago pa lang po [ako sa posisyon]. ‘Yun po, talagang pinag-aaralan natin. Ang sa isip ko, sa part po ng government, sila po ‘yung may idea, siguro naman sa ikabubuti [‘yun] dahil [kung] magiging tatlo [ang probinsiya], lahat magiging bago….Kung anuman ang paghahati-hatian ay maging tatlo [rin]. [Pero] Hindi pa rin po ako makapagsabi ng kung ano [pa] dahil sabi ni Board Zaballa na sumama ako [sa Barangay Summit] para malaman ko po [ang tungkol dito],” she said. Barangay Summit will be conducted in the Municipality of Bataraza starting Feb. 13 and will last on the 15th.
But she also told the press that indigenous peoples of Palawan will talk about the matter.
She likewise refused to answer, for the meantime, the question on how she could encourage her fellow IP’s to support the division of Palawan and what would the IPMR office do if the majority of them turn it down.
Meanwhile, Board Member Eduardo Modesto “Jay” Rodriguez asked BM Seguritan if the different IP’s of the province had already talked about the line of succession if Palawan will be divided into three because for now, their current ‘Gabay’ has been made only for the current situation. Rodriguez likewise hoped for a smoother process in the installation of the next IPMR’s.
He requested her to create a new “Gabay” appropriate for Palawan del Norte, Palawan Oriental, and Palawan del Sur and to prepare IPMR for those new provinces.
Both Board Members Rodriguez and Albert Rama also hoped that one of these days, ancestral domain areas of all municipalities will be declared so that, proper protection and preservation will be implemented, for the benefits of Palaweño IP’s.
“Alam natin na ang sitwasyon ngayon, marami sa mga itinuturing na ancestral domain areas, na-occupied na ng mga hindi katutubo; nagkaroon na ng encroachment ang ancestral domain areas…na kung saan, isa ito sa mga mapagtutulungan [natin] upang maipreserba ang lupain ng Palawan para sa mga Palawenyo,” Rama lamented.