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Conrado Balweg

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Conrado Balweg
BornDecember 29, 1942[1]
DiedDecember 31, 1999(1999-12-31) (aged 57) [1]
Malibcong, Abra, Philippines
NationalityFilipino
SpouseCorazon Cortel
Children5
Ecclesiastical career
ReligionCatholicism
OrdainedNovember 27, 1970
Pope Paul VI
Congregations served
Society of the Divine Word
Military career
Nickname(s)Ka Ambo
AllegianceNew People's Army
(1979–1986)
Cordillera People’s Liberation Army
(1986–1999)
UnitLumbaya Company (NPA)

Conrado Balweg (December 29, 1942 – December 31, 1999) was a former Filipino Catholic priest and rebel who was the founder of the Cordillera People's Liberation Army, a militant group which advocated autonomy for the Cordillera region in the Philippines. He was also known by the nom-de-guerre Ka Ambo.[2]

Career

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Balweg, a member of the Itneg people (sometimes also called the Tingguian people), was ordained a priest of the Society of the Divine Word congregation by Pope Paul VI in 1970 during the latter's pastoral visit to Manila.

He joined the New People's Army in 1979 in light of abuses against the Itneg people by the Marcos administration, which wanted to promote the interests of the Cellophil Resources Corporation.[3] He was also inspired by the heroism of tribal leader Macli-ing Dulag who was killed at around that time. Dulag had opposed the Chico River Dam Project, a plan of the government to build a hydroelectric dam in the Cordilleras.

By the early 1980s, the Armed Forces of the Philippines had tagged Balweg as its most-wanted man with a bounty of ₱200,000.[4] As an NPA member, he was part of the Lumbaya Company.[2]

Balweg formed the Cordillera People’s Liberation Army (CPLA) in 1986 with fellow priest, Bruno Ortega.[4]

Under his leadership, the CPLA made a sipat or ceasefire with the Philippine government at the Mt. Data Hotel, in Bauko, Mountain Province on September 13, 1986. The agreement between the two sides was called the 1986 Mount Data Peace Accord.[5][6]

Death

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Members of the Chadli Molintas Cordillera Region Command of the New People's Army killed Balweg at his residence in Malibcong, Abra in the early morning of December 31, 1999. The unit was led by his brother Juvencio, who denied firing the shots that fatally wounded Balweg. The New People's Army issued a statement that they killed Balweg for alleged "crimes against the Cordilleran people and the Revolutionary Movement".[4]

Another NPA member, Procorpio Tauro also known as "Pyro" and "Ka Lito", was found by the Philippine police to be directly responsible for killing Balweg. Tauro, along with Balweg's brother and other NPA members were present when the killing occurred.[7]

Personal life

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Balweg was married to Corazon Cortel. Upon Balweg's death in 1999, Cortel became the Chief of Staff of the CPLA. Cortel died at Camp Upi in Gamu, Isabela on March 10, 2008, leaving behind five children.[8]

Jordan, one of Balweg's children, was a CPLA member who was integrated into the Philippine Army in 2012.[9]

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Balweg's turn from a priest to a communist rebel was depicted in the 1987 film Balweg, directed by Anthony "Butch" Perez and starring Phillip Salvador as Balweg and Rio Locsin as his wife Azon.

References

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  1. ^ a b Alcantara, Nathan (January 2, 2000). "'Balweg knew he was going to die''" Philippine Daily Inquirer, p. 12.(Link) Retrieved July 31, 2019.
  2. ^ a b Bahatan, Fernando Jr. (April 24, 2009). "Cordillera Autonomy: Looking Around and Farther Back". National Economic and Development Authority - Cordillera Administrative Region. Retrieved October 3, 2017.
  3. ^ Bagadion, Benjamin Jr. (1991 Januar-December). THE RISE AND FALL OF A CRONY CORPORATION. Philippine Sociological Review. Vol. 39, No. 1/4. Philippine Sociological Society. pp. 24-29. https://www.jstor.org/stable/
  4. ^ a b c "Priest Turned Rebel killed by Communist Guerrillas Led by Brother". UCA News. January 6, 2000. Retrieved October 3, 2017.
  5. ^ Virgilio M Gaje (February 1, 2012). "[PIA News] CPLA commemorates Mount Data peace accord". Archives.pia.gov.ph. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved September 4, 2013.
  6. ^ "Historical Background of Cordillera's Pursuit for Regional Development and Autonomy". Cordillera.gov.ph. March 1, 1991. Archived from the original on July 17, 2013. Retrieved September 4, 2013.
  7. ^ "Balweg's real killer identified". The Philippine Star. January 7, 2000. Retrieved October 3, 2017.
  8. ^ "Widow of former rebel priest Conrado Balweg dies". GMA News. March 10, 2008. Retrieved October 3, 2017.
  9. ^ Visaya, Villamor Jr. (December 31, 2012). "Rebel priest's son now an Army soldier". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Inquirer Northern Luzon. Retrieved October 3, 2017.
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