MORE NEWS, ABRA

Gov’t forces ‘reclaim’ Abra town from NPA

TINEG, Abra – After many years of being under the control of the New People’s Army, the government has “reclaimed” this town from communist rebels. This, after a task force composed of different government units “invaded” the town last week to restore government control. Government officials inaugurated the first police station in Barangay Caganayan Wednesday, a police official said.

Senior Supt. Noel Manabat, Task Force Abra commander and Cordillera police deputy director for operations, said over the years, government operations of the town were transacted in Bangued, Abra’s capital town. Most upland town mayors of Abra maintain houses in Bangued for residents and where they could transact government business.

For this time, Manabat said, police will spearhead local governance in Tineg. Task Force Abra has designated as “caretaker police chief” Senior Supt. Ernesto Gaab to oversee local policemen, who were accused earlier of siding with warring politicians. Around 80 policemen from the Special Action Force, Police Mobile Group, Regional Mobile Group among others will temporarily compose the local security force.

Manabat said satellite and cell phones will be installed in the police station for quick communication, site of skirmishes between law enforcers and rebels including hired goons of politicians. He added all private armed groups would be neutralized not only in Tineg but the whole province so local government officials could perform normal functions. Tineg town could be reached by traversing bumpy dirt road for around four hours.

Caganayan, the new site of the police station and where a town hall is being built could be reached by foot for another one to two hours.