Checkpoints back in Abra

Cordillera police director Chief Superintendent Eugene Martin ordered Saturday the setting up of checkpoints in strategic areas in Abra to prevent the return of lawlessness in the streets of the province.

Martin’s directive came in the wake of the killing of lawyer Demetrio Pre, and five other ambush and shooting incidents, which triggered speculation that “lawlessness’ is back in the 3rd poorest province of the country.

The Cordillera police director said the police and Army units in Abra are on top of the peace and order situation in the province.

“We are working hard to solve all of those cases in Abra to bring justice to the victims and their families no matter who gets hurt,” said Martin in an interview.

Despite the six incidents, Abra Gov. Eustaquio Bersa­min said that the peace and order situation in the province has vastly improved. “Contrary to the perception of some people who do not want peace in Abra, the peace and order situation in the province has improved a lot,” said Bersamin, as he called on the Abreños to rally behind his leadership so progress and development would come in.

Bersamin called upon his fellow politicians to shy away from retaliatory killings to erase the tag of Abra as the “murder capital” of the country.

Martin likewise is hoping that the checkpoint operations, being spearheaded by Senior Superintendent Noel Manabat, the Cordillera police deputy for operations, would deter criminals from carrying guns in the province. Aside from the checkpoint operations, Martin also directed Manabat  and Senior Superintendent Alex Pumecha, Abra police provincial director, to intensify Oplan Sita against firearms especially inside beer joints and nightclubs and the strict implementation of the “no license, no travel” policy.

The Cordillera police chief noted that the checkpoint operations implemented by Task Force Abra, which he formerly heads, during the last May elections resulted to the most peaceful elections in the history of Abra province. He also credited Task Force Abra of dismantling at least nine private armed groups (PAGs) based in the province.

Aside from the murder of Pre inside his home in Bangued town on April 20, Pumecha listed the other incidents as the killing of Isidro Panabang in Barangay Canan, La Paz town on Jan. 10; the ambush of Aquino Buyao and his companions while fishing at Sitio Madecnac in Alaoa, Tineg town on Feb. 1; the shooting and wounding of Resty Eduarte, Allan Sawadan, Gerald Valera and Joel Clayoan also in Bangued on March 29, and the ambush which left four people dead in Tineg town on Apr. 20.

Pumecha said the “culture of silence” among witnesses in the incidents remained a hindrance to their effort to pin down the suspects in the crimes listed above.