Comelec places Abra under its control

The Commission on Elections issued yesterday a resolution placing Abra under its control to prevent election-related violence in the northern province.

Comelec chairman Benjamin Abalos Jr. said the poll body en banc appointed Commissioner Romeo Brawner as "officer-in-charge governor" of Abra, stripping Gov. Vicente Valera of authority over election-related concerns.

In a press briefing, Abalos said it was Valera himself who petitioned the Comelec to take over the province for fear that violence would escalate there in the run-up to the May 14 elections.

Valera was earlier implicated in the killing of Abra Rep. Luisito Bersamin Jr. last Dec. 16 in front of the Mt. Carmel Church in Quezon City. The governor has denied the charges.

Brawner said he would only be handling election-related matters in Abra.

"He (Valera) remains the governor. For example, if dengue fever breaks out in Abra, that will be the concern of Gov. Valera, not me," he said.

The Comelec will create a composite team or a special task force that will assist Brawner in overseeing the elections in Abra.

Brawner, who is also the commissioner in charge of the Cordillera region, said Valera had requested that Task Force Abra, headed by Superintendent Eugene Martin, be "abolished or replaced" immediately.

"He feels that this task force is biased against him and in favor of the other side. We will look into that," he said.