Nine Abra private armies disbanded

By Dexter A. See

BANGUED, Abra — Despite the expected intense political rivalry in this capital town and in the race for the province’s lone congressional seat, police believe Abra will be peaceful in the May, 2010 elections following the dismantling of nine notorious private armed groups (PAGs).

Chief Supt. Samuel B. Diciano, deputy regional director for administration of the Police Regional Office, said law enforcers in the province disbanded private armed groups who are behind numerous violent activities in the province.

However, he said Abra will be priority of police and military in deployment of forces to sustain peace efforts.

Diciano said members of the nine PAGs, who are reportedly hardened criminals from different parts of the Ilocos region, have been arrested by law enforcers and turned over to courts the past years.

In the May, 2007 local elections, nine PAGs reigned over the politics in the province but their activities were eventually neutralized by operations of law enforcers.

The police official said law enforcers have also restricted bodyguards of politicians from holding firearms and it will be the police which will provide security to local officials.

While there is a four-cornered fight for the province’s congressional post, Diciano hopes there will be less political rivalry in most of the towns because some candidates are running unopposed.

The wife of detained former Abra Gov. Vicente Valera, Ma. Zita Calustro-Valera; ousted Cordillera People’s Liberation Army leader Mailed Molina and board member Maria Jocelyn Valera-Bernos, daughter of Bangued mayor Dominique Valera and wife of slain La Paz Mayor Mark Ysrael Bernos, will slug it out with incumbent Rep. Cecilia Luna for the lone congressional seat of Abra.

Bangued is seen as a possible critical area because of the rivalry between Mayor Valera and Ryan Luna, son of Rep. Luna for this capital town’s mayoral post.