Friday, August 31, 2007 Dev't seen in Abra if poll violence ends By Rimaliza Opiña
IF ALL officials and its constituents would just cooperate, Abra could be the most peaceful province in the Cordillera region.
In a recent meeting with newly elected officials of the province, Police Deputy Regional Director Villamor Bumanglag said officials of Abra were challenged to be at the forefront of changing the province's image from being a "killing field" into a promising province.
Abra has been touted as the "killing field of the North" because of reported killings, mostly victimizing would-be and seasoned politicians, which are largely attributed to politics.
But aside from the political violence, crimes against property like theft rarely happen in the province, Bumanglag said.
He added that this is an indication that Abra is generally peaceful had it not been for violence sowed by politicians or their supporters.
"More development would come in," Bumanglag predicted if the peace and order situation in Abra would be improved and maintained.
Several measures had already been implemented in the province in the past years in a bid to limit if not totally minimize political killings in Abra.
These included the signing of peace pacts between politicians and rivals especially during the conduct of elections and the relief of the entire police command to do away with the practice of turning policemen into private bodyguards of politicians and high-ranking officials.
