Explosion rocks Bangued town hall: 27 mayors pledge support for Abra peace initiatives

By Dexter A. See

BANGUED, Abra – The incoming and reelected mayors of the 27 towns of this politically-divided province have committed to support peace initiatives initiated by police even as an improvised explosive exploded in front of the municipal building here before dawn June 30.

Police said nobody was hurt in the explosion as the place was deserted.

Despite the explosion, second-term Gov. Eustaquio Bersamin and Bangued’s new mayor, Ryan Luna, and the other winning provincial and local officials pushed through with their oath taking.

Senior Supt. Joseph Adnol, Abra provincial police chief, said a recent meeting among incoming local chief executives and local chiefs of police resulted in a collective pledge to attain peace and pursue development programs for the province.

Adnol said all recognized need to stop culture of violence and political vendetta which hindered implementation of projects aimed at bringing progress to this province.

“Maintaining a good professional relationship between chiefs of police and local chief executives will play a key in the peacekeeping efforts and will greatly help in making a paradigm shift in the attitude of the people towards economic development,” Adnol said.

While the municipal mayors have the authority to select the chief of police in their respective towns, he added local chief executives have no absolute control in the operational supervision and disciplinary powers over the police, thus, they could not insist on what they want the police to do, especially if it is against the law.

Based on information that reached regional headquarters of the Police Regional Office in the Cordillera, some politicians in the provincial and municipal levels in Abra have been reportedly controlling operation and management of police stations purposely to advance their own personal and political interests.