Abra wants to be most peaceful in 2010 polls

MANILA, Philippines - The move to transform Abra from an election “hot spot” to the most peaceful province in the coming May election is on the right track, as Gov. Eustaquio Bersamin called on fellow politicians to strictly adhere to the manifesto they signed and respect the rule of law.

Bersamin said the political situation in Abra has largely improved as he thanked the Philippine National Police and the Armed Forces of the Philippines for steadfastly working for the betterment of peace and order in the province.

“Our province now is peaceful compared to the past elections. And the PNP and the AFP have played key roles in maintaining the peaceful atmosphere in the province,” said Bersamin in an interview.

Senior Superintendent Charlo Collado, Abra police provincial director,claimed that the political situation in the province remained stable as the “equity of the incumbent” prevailed among elected officials.

Bersamin was unopposed in his re-election and Collado said they are closely monitoring the mayoralty race in the capital municipality of Bangued and the lone congressional seat of the province.

Incumbent

Incumbent Bangued Mayor Dominic Valera is being challenged by Ryan Luna, the Association of Barangay Chairmen president, while incumbent Rep. Cecille Luna has three opponents in the person of Ma. Zita Valera, the wife of detained former Gov. Vicente Valera; Joy Bernos-Valera, Valera’s wife, and former ranking official of the Cordillera People’s Liberation Army (CPLA) Mailed Molina.

The 26 other mayors in Abra stuck to their agreement not to field candidates against each other.

But, as always, intense political rivalries in Abra, touted as the source of “irritants” in the peace overtures in what is once regarded as “Killing Fields” in the Cordillera region, is in the offing.

This, as police authorities talked too early that the province is in for peaceful elections.

Showing warps within the ruling political elites in the province, a supposedly unopposed Abra governor Bersamin (Lakas-Kampi) may not be so sure this time because he is being faced by his supposed vice gubernatorial tandem – former Lagangilang mayor Lizardo Senugo (Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino).

Senugo, who, including other politicians swore last week before police and military officials to “maintain the peace” by not running against each other, is reportedly backed by a known local leader supposedly also trying to “remove the irritants” among politicians in the province that often leads to killings.

In the congressional race, Luna is in for a four-cornered fight instead of only former representative, governor and Bangued town mayor Valera, wife of former Abra strongman Vicente Valera, former Bucloc town mayor Mailed Molina. 

At the last minute, Maria Jocelyn Bernos, wife of slain La Paz mayor Ysrael Bernos filed her bid in the congressional race in an apparent disgust over the ruling party’s disregard of an earlier agreement that her father – Bangued town mayor Dominic Valera will be unopposed in his second term.

At the last minute of the filing of COCs Tuesday midnight, Luna’s son – Ryan officially challenged Valera.

Even the vice gubernatorial race is precarious as the previously agreed “no contest” became a one-on-one between Beth Zayda Alzate and Pilar Mayor Rolando Somera.

With these developments, Comelec-Cordillera regional director Julius Torres said, “the police must re-study their earlier assessment that Abra will be peaceful (this time).”

In the 2007 elections, at least 28 were killed in election-related violence in the province.

Two weeks ago, police managed to “facilitate” an agreement between Abra politicians not to run against each other to “remove irritants” leading to their clashes.

Cordillera police director Chief Superintendent Orlando Pestaño himself admitted a precarious situation in the province at the heels of the recent political development though he had been very optimistic in the past that the manifesto would work.