02/08/2026
Beyond the Mold: Reimagining Cordillera Autonomy through the BARMM Lens
Part 84
​Are we permanently confined to a cookie-cutter presidential form of government, or does true self-determination allow for structural choices that actually respect our cultural values instead of feeding the beasts of political machinery?
​Flashback to the consultations called by then-Congressman Mauricio Domogan alongside his legal consultant and my favorite bayaw (in-law), Alex Bangsoy, regarding the second house bill on Cordillera autonomy (following the historic flop of the first attempt where only Kalinga voted in favor).
Naturally, I decided to stir the pot—because what is a government consultation without someone lovingly tossing a gr***de into the room?
​I raised strong reservations against importing a regional presidential setup, pointing out that it turns elections into high-stakes auctions vulnerable to GGG—guns, goons, and gold—and gift-wraps the region neatly for political dynasties.
​My alternative proposal?
A parliamentary structure featuring a rotating executive administrator among the provinces, keeping individual provinces genuinely autonomous within the regional umbrella, and declaring Baguio a neutral administrative enclave like Switzerland hosting the CAR headquarters.
​Naturally, the objections rolled in faster than jeepneys barreling down Session Road with failing brakes: legal traditionalists argued our national constitution strictly prescribed a presidential template, while one worried elder raised his voice, warning that because billions in public funds were involved, we couldn't possibly entrust it to a rotating administrator.
​My retort was simple: if a law is meant to promote true self-determination, it shouldn't be handcuffed by rigid national templates short of demanding outright secession. We need systems honoring indigenous values, minimizing political violence, and guaranteeing fiscal self-reliance through local resource and tax control rather than begging politicians in Manila for budgetary dole-outs like Oliver Twist asking for extra gruel.
​The plot thickened later when, upon our prodding, Congressman Mark Go also conducted a public consultation on their own House Bill regarding CAR. True to form, as I was espousing my views against a presidential form and favoring a parliamentary alternative, he abruptly cut me off, asking why on earth I was trying to completely overhaul their precious House Bill.
​My response? Exactly this:
This has been the root cause of all our previous failures—the chronic lack of meaningful consultations before House Bills are even filed. You cannot draft a suit for someone without first taking their measurements, unless your goal is a garment that fits nobody.
​Looking at how regional governance has evolved elsewhere, the Bangsamoro experience offers a stark historical lesson. After the struggles and limitations of the presidential-style Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) under Nur Misuari, the framework shifted profoundly with Republic Act No. 11054 (the BARMM Organic Law), breaking away from old presidential molds to adopt a parliamentary system and an inclusive definition of original inhabitants. If they could break the mold, why are we still glued to ours?
​This is part 1 of a series on my views on a future CAR and the present BARMM.
Jose "Joemol" Mencio Molintas
