Pre-election slays in Abra ‘alarming,’ says RPOC head
BAGUIO CITY—The wave of killings in Abra has reached an “alarming” level ahead of the midterm elections in May, according to Baguio Mayor Benjamin Magalong, chair of the Cordillera Regional Peace and Order Council (RPOC).
Magalong convened an emergency RPOC meeting at the Abra provincial police office on Monday after residents, along with civic leaders, expressed growing fear and distress as the province, historically a hot spot for election-related violence, experiences another surge of deadly attacks.
Messages from residents of Bangued, the provincial capital, have flooded in, with many saying, “Takot na kami rito” (We are living in fear), Magalong told the Inquirer during the sidelines of a good governance caucus with former Sen. Panfilo Lacson here on Tuesday.
Magalong declined to reveal exact figures presented by the Abra police at the RPOC session.
However, he admitted that he had to press officials for data amid supposed attempts to downplay the severity of recent incidents, which include multiple shootings and grenade attacks in recent weeks.
“I was initially assured that the situation was manageable. But after I requested an official report, Police Brig. Gen. David Peredo Jr. (the regional police director) confirmed that the incidents were very serious,” Magalong said.
He added: “Officially, we now classify Abra’s political violence as ‘alarming.’”
At least eight people had been killed in Abra between Feb. 28 and March 26. These included Melchor Gatmen, an aspiring councilor in Pilar town, and Juanito Gammong, a driver of a mayoral candidate in Bangued.
At least four attempted assassinations were also recorded during this period, including that of Artemio Donato Jr., a candidate for mayor in Pidigan, and that of Mark Anthony Go, who is running for vice mayor of Bangued.
Magalong, a retired police general, noted that law enforcement agencies and the Commission on Elections (Comelec) must act decisively to prevent further violence.
He also urged authorities to crack down on loose firearms, a measure he enforced as Cordillera police director in 2012.
“I challenged them to ensure that no further shootings or violent incidents occur after Monday, and they assured me they would take action,” he said.
But on Monday night, just hours after the RPOC meeting, another fatal attack was reported in Abra after a man was shot in the head while attending a birthday celebration in Tayum town.
Acting Abra Gov. Russell Bragas also attended the RPOC meeting and later issued a statement on social media, urging the police to take decisive action.
“Election-related or not, these cowardly acts of violence have no place in a supposedly civilized society like ours,” Bragas wrote.
