PNP, local officials vow peaceful 2010 elections in Abra

MANILA, Philippines - Top police and local government officials vowed to turn Abra from election “hot spots” into one of the most peaceful provinces in the coming May elections.

In the past elections, Abra was perennially listed as election “hot spots” because of the presence of private armed groups (PAGs) and intense political rivalry.

In the 2007 elections, at least 27 people were killed due to ambuscades and assassinations in Abra alone, said Director Eugene Martin, head of the Philippine National Police directorate for intelligence.

In a meeting presided by PNP chief Director General Jesus Verzosa, Abra Gov. Eustaquio Bersamin, Rep. Cecille Luna and 21 of the 27 municipal mayors of the province agreed not to field candidates against each other so as not to trigger animosity among them and their supporters.

“They wanted Abra to be the most peaceful province in the country in the coming elections so one way of accomplishing the feat is for them not to support candidates running against incumbent officials,” said Martin in an interview.

Communication lines

In the 2007 polls, Martin was the chief of the Cordillera region, with Abra as among its member province.

Aside from the local officials, those who joined Verzosa and Martin in the meeting held at the Baguio City Golf and Country Club were Chief Superintendent Samuel Diciano, and Senior Superintendent Elmer Soria, deputy chief for administration and operations of the Cordillera police, respectively and Senior Superintendent Charlo Collado, Abra police provincial director.

“From being the most violent province in the past elections, so they agreed not only to field candidates against each other but also to open lines of communications to resolve petty issues and prevent them from going out of hand,” said Martin.

Initial reports showed that Luna plans to field her own candidate against incumbent Bangued Mayor Dominic Valera while the latter is also planning to pit his wife, Mila, against the former.

But with the local officials agreeing not to field candidates against each other, it erased one of the major irritants that led to the naming of Abra as an election “hot spot.”