MABALACAT, Pampanga – Armed policemen are keeping watch over the brewing tension between two groups of Aeta tribes caught in the boundary conflict between this province and Tarlac.
Guy Hilbero, founder of the Mabalacat Aeta Tribal Association (MATA) said armed cops from the regional police headquarters in Camp Olivas have augmented local police in Barangay Calumpang here, amid his group’s conflict with the Bamban Aeta Tribal Association (BATA).
The contested site, he said, is “where lucrative lahar sand quarrying seemed to be a pivotal issue larger than boundary conflict” over an area which this town refers to as Barangay Calumpang, but which Bamban, Tarlac classifies as a mere sitio of its Barangay San Vicente.
The boundary dispute itself remains to be resolved by the Supreme Court.
Hilbero said that only MATA is entitled to collect a share of P50 from fees paid by some 200 trucks hauling lahar sand from the area at the Sacobia-Parua river, but BATA had contested this amid claims of local officials, led by Gov. Vic Yap, that the area is within Tarlac.
The long- running boundary dispute heated up anew after House Bill 4736, or the Cityhood Bill of Mabalacat town, was passed in the Lower House. The final version increased Mabalacat’s land area from 8,318 hectares to 14,660.
Hilbero said Tarlac officials claimed that the increase in the land area was due to the inclusion of the contested area into Mabalacat’s territory amid geographical requirements imposed by the cityhood law.
Chief Supt. Edgardo Ladao, Central Luzon police director, led last Monday a team of policemen to the site amid brewing tension between the tribal folk. Earlier, there had been reported physical violence over quarrying jurisdiction.
Ladao presided over a dialogue between barangay and Aeta tribal leaders of Calumpang and San Vicente, in the presence of Tarlac police director Senior Supt. Alfred Corpus and Pampanga police chief, Senior Supt. Edgardo Tinio, as well as Clark Development Corporation police head Senior Supt. Nicanor Targa.
Hilbero said that during the dialogue, Bamban leaders relented and gave way to MATA in quarrying operations.
Police, however, have expressed concern over the possible eruption of conflict amid the unresolved boundary controversy.
While Yap challenged Mabalacat Mayor Marino Morales to “produce a map” to establish Mabalacat’s claim on the boundary area, Hilbero cited historical data showing that Mabalacat was founded in 1712, while Bamban which used to be part of Pampanga, was established much later in 1837 as a town within Tarlac province.
“This establishes Mabalacat’s historical basis of jurisdiction over Calumpang,” he said, pointing out that folk in the barangay have always voted for Mabalacat officials and have been beneficiaries of Mabalacat’s development projects and services.
