Cordillera People's Liberation Army
The Cordillera People's Liberation Army was a militant organization based in the Cordillera region in the Philippines founded by Conrado Balweg. In 1986, the CPLA broke away from the communist New People's Army, criticizing the latter for its incompetence in pursuing its goals.
The formation of the CPLA also saw the merger of the Tingguian Liberation Force, a splinter group from NPA Abra to form the Cordillera organization. Their goal was to fight for the self-determination of the people of Cordillera.
In September 13, 1986, the CPLA and the Government of the Philippines made a "sipat" at Mt. Data Hotel, in Bauko, Mountain Province. The agreement between the two entities was called the 1986 Mount Data Peace Accord.
In 1999, the organization's founder, Conrado Balweg was assassinated by the NPA.
A closure agreement between the CPLA and the Government of the Philippines was signed on July 4, 2011, at the Rizal Hall in Malacañan Palace. The agreement called for the disarmament of the group, the reintegration of the militants into mainstream society and the conversion of the militant group into a socio-economic organization.
While the group has stopped armed confrontation, the CPLA remain extant as of 2013, and still campaigning for greater autonomy in the Cordilleras with about 1,000 members. Their main rival is the Cordillera People's Democratic Front, the National Democratic organization based in Cordillera.
