INTRODUCTION

On 13 September 1986, the Cordillera People’s Liberation Army (CPLA) led by Fr. Conrado Balweg heeded the call for peace by President Corazon Aquino through the signing of a ceasefire agreement, which became known as the Mt. Data Peace Accord or Sipat. This Agreement signified a partnership of cooperation, trust and respect that has held and sustained a ceasefire for the past 30 years.

Upon assumption of the President Corazon Aquino’s son, Benigno Simeon Aquino III, of the presidency, the Philippine Government (GPH) engaged the CPLA and its political arm, the Cordillera Bodong Administration (CBA) to conclude the 30-year old ceasefire agreement. This Agreement, although faithfully observed and despite various efforts from previous administrations, has not put an end to the existence of the CPLA as an armed group.After eight (8) months of negotiations and vetting with the security

After eight (8) months of negotiations and vetting with the security sector and Cordillera stakeholders, the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the GPH and the CBA-CPLA was officially signed on 4 July 2011 in Malacañan with President Benigno Aquino III as witness.This Closure Agreement Towards the CPLA’s Disposition of Arms and

This Closure Agreement Towards the CPLA’s Disposition of Arms and Forces and Its Transformation into a Potent Socio-Economic Unarmed Force marked the first signed peace agreement of the administration and sent a strong signal to other armed groups that the government is committed to the path of peace and is ready to conclude the peace processes that have been stalled for decades.The Closure Agreement was implemented through the following components:

The Closure Agreement was implemented through the following components: 1) Disposition of arms and forces; 2) Community development projects; 3) Inter-barangay and inter-municipal development; 4) Economic reintegration of CPLA members; 5) Documentation of the CBA-CPLA struggle; and 5) Transformation of CBA-CPLA into a socio-economic organization.
Implementation was overseen by a Joint Committee (JC) composed of representatives from the Office of the President Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Concerned Citizens of Abra for Good Government (CCAGG), CBA and the CPLA.