Abra town PNP officers changed to stop poll bias

BANGUED, Abra -- The Police Regional Office Cordillera on Tuesday announced a revamp in the leadership of the town police here to dispel any suspicion of biases among personnel as the May 13 mid-term election draws near.

During the relaunch of Abra Shield, Cordillera police director Brig. Gen. Israel Ephraim Dickson, said Maj. Dominador de Guzman will be replaced by Maj. Daniel Bandoc as Bangued chief of police.

Lt. Col. Crisante Sadino will be replaced by Maj.Lory Parrazona as intelligence branch head.

De Guzman will be recalled to the police regional office, and Sadino, to Mt. Province police provincial office. 

 "To those of you who were brought in to refresh and intensify the security preparations in Abra for the 2019 elections, your task is basically cut out. You are here to reinforce the majority of Abra's people doing their best to attain a less violent and more honest exercise of their rights to suffrage," Dickson said.

 He said the 180th Regional Mobile Force Battalion (RMFB), originally serving Abra province, was also relieved of its duty and replaced by the 1504th RMFB, originally based in Mt. Polis in Ifugao province.

Dickson cited the importance of the police maintaining the people's trust and confidence for a peaceful, orderly, and honest election.

"I feel the PROCOR cannot afford to put down its guard or prematurely bask complacency. We have still more than three weeks in the run-up to the 2019 elections.

It is imperative that Abra Shield must again be raised against the remaining elements that propagate the bloody politics of the province," he said.

Abra Shield is a security plan conceptualized to serve as a "handbook" in handling the elections in the province.

Meanwhile, Dickson thanked the Philippine National Police for turning over five Mahindra Scorpio police patrol vehicles, and 16 XRM 125 Honda motorcycles for additional mobility for the PROCOR.

Aside from the vehicles, the Abra police also received a repeater, a base radio, 10 mobile radios with a global positioning system, 60 handheld radios with GPS, a desktop computer, two high-frequency coded tactical packs for communication, and six drones.

Dickson reminded Abra policemen to stay non-partisan during the conduct of the May 13 national and local elections to prevent any complication and sanction. -- PNA