Mayoralty bet in Abra waylaid by armed men

By MAR SUPNAD

BANGUED, Abra – A mayoralty candidate and his companions were ambushed by unidentified men believed to be members of a private armed groups of their political opponents at dawn on April 24 at Sitio Bakir, Barangay San Antonio, this town.

Senior Supt. Alexander Pumecha, police provincial director, said although bullets pierced through the windshield of the jeep of Boyet Castillo, a candidate for mayor in Langiden town, no one was hurt. Pumecha said that Castillo and his companions were going back to Langiden on board a jeep and a van when, upon reaching Sitio Bakir, the gunmen fired at them.

Pumecha said luckily, no one of the occupants of the vehicles was hit in the ambush, adding three of the bullets hit the front windshield of the jeep. Pumecha said as soon as the jeep of the candidate was hit in the first volley of gunfire, the unidentified drivers maneuvered the jeep and the van, drove towards the camp of the 1601st police mobile group.

Following, this, the Catholic bishop in Abra said he could not hide his fear of what could happen in the northern province tagged as an election hot spot in the May 14 elections. Newly designated Bangued Bishop Leopoldo Jaucian admitted that he spent the entire Holy Week praying for clean and peaceful elections in Abra, where political violence and killing have become commonplace during elections.

“Honestly speaking, I am scared here and I do not deny my fears. But deep within my heart, I am also thankful to God for this great task given to me by the leadership of the Church,” Jaucian said in an interview aired over Radio Veritas.

The prelate revealed that he joined the procession in his diocese last Good Friday and prayed to Sto. Entierro, the image of the crucified Jesus Christ. “In my prayer I asked Jesus to take away with His death the traditional politics of guns, goons, and gold here so that we may be able to raise with Him a province where people live in truth, justice, peace and love,” he said. Jaucian, however, said he has been pushing voters’ education since he was assigned to the diocese of Bangued, the capital town, last month.

He said their committee on social action has initiated a multi-sectoral group to monitor and supervise clean, honest, authentic, meaningful and peaceful elections in the strife-torn province. Jaucian said many residents have volunteered to help monitor the local polls. They are now undergoing training in preparation for their task in the May 14 elections.

Asked what he thinks is the biggest challenge for the people of Abra, Jaucian said, “First and foremost the attitude and outlook of people where their selfish interest supersedes their concern for others. Without this mentality, I think we could finally progress and end violence here.”

Abra has been placed under the control of the Commission on Elections due to its history of poll-related violence. Last December, Abra rep. Luis Bersamin was gunned down in front of the Mt. Carmel Church in New Manila, Quezon City after attending the wedding of a relative. Abra Gov. Vicente, who is seeking Bersamin’s post in the May polls, was implicated in the killing, but he denied the allegations. Recently, Comelec chairman Benjamin Abalos and Philippine National Police chief Director General Oscar Calderon witnessed the signing of a peace covenant among Abra politicians.