Abra mayoralty bet surrenders alleged assassin

LA Trinidad, Benguet - Mayoralty bet Cromwell Luna, the youngest scion of the controversial and sometimes “feared” political clan in Abra province, has “turned in” an alleged assassin in a breakthrough move after a successful peace and confidence building dialogue.

Luna, who is facing incumbent Mayor Edwin Crisologo in remote Tineg town, brought to policemen 29-year-old Sanny Lanag Billong, who is an alleged “trouble maker” in his own village in Barangay Alaoa.

Tineg is one of the tows in Abra province that has been “perennially bothered by violence" during elections.

Chief Superintendent Benjamin Magalong, Cordillera regional police director, said that the surrender of Billong is a positive response to Crisologo's challenge during a dialogue with Abra policemen and contending parties in the May 2013 polls.

Luna is a son of former Congresswoman and Abra gubernatorial bet Cecille Seares Luna and the younger brother of Bangued town mayor Ryann Luna and former Lagayan Mayor Jentrix Luna.

Luna also ran, but lost to Mayor Crisologo in the 2010 race.

The mayoralty bet and his supposed private armed group (PAG) was earlier tagged to have “held” three nuns in Tineg during the May 2010 polls.

Candidates in the local elections in May in Abra have already surrendered dozens of their licensed firearms as a response to the police's call for disarmament in the province.

The firearms were deposited for safe-keeping and will be released to the politicians after the May polls.

“As the conduct of the elections is fast approaching, instructions were given to our police units to intensify the conduct of more activities that will ensure the surrender or arrest of the remaining PAG members being maintained by politicians particularly in Abra,” Magalong said.