Group pushes orderly Abra elections despite harassment from pols

By Dexter A. See

BANGUED, Abra — The Abra Multi-Sectoral Group (AMSG) is doing its share in the campaign for a peaceful and orderly elections in this conflict-stricken province for the upcoming May 2010 synchronized and automated polls in the face of reported cases of harassment by politicians and their followers in some areas where there are intense political rivalries among candidates for various elective positions.

The AMSG decided recently to organize its own para-legal team to assist people in communities particularly victims of violence to document their experiences so these could be tackled in the proper forum and brought to the attention of concerned authorities for action before the situation heats up which could translate to more violent activities.

The organization of the independent para-legal group came in the heels of reports of politicians and their followers were harassing people particularly in the municipalities of Bangued and Tineg.

The AMSG said while there are victims who now have the guts to expose their experiences to the media, still, there is the need to document the cases otherwise these will not hold water in the courts when these are filed.

The para-legal training will equip the volunteers in the rigidities of documenting the cases as well as in following the requirements of court proceedings to thwart possibilities of the cases to be dismissed prior to filing or arraignment due to technical inequities.