PNP chief vows to preserve Abra’s ‘peaceful’ image

For a long time, we have not heard of any problem in Abra . . .
We will not allow these lawless
elements to advance their motives
Ronald dela Rosa
Philippine National Police chief
–EV ESPIRITU

BANGUED, Abra — Vowing to preserve Abra’s “peaceful image,” Director General Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, chief of the Philippine National Police, said the police would make sure nothing like the grenade explosion on Jan. 25 in La Paz town would ever happen again in a province known for political violence.

A police task force has narrowed down to three suspects of the blast that killed two policemen and wounded 26 people, including Abra Rep. Joseph Bernos and his wife, La Paz Mayor Menchie Bernos.

Dela Rosa did not give details except to say the motive behind the attack had yet to be established.

“For a long time, we have not heard of any problem … in Abra until that blast on Jan. 25. We will not allow these lawless elements to advance their motives,” Dela Rosa said when he opened the Cordillera Administrative Region Athletic Association (Caraa) meet here on Sunday.

Sports meet

Despite concerns from parents, the meet proceeded, with thousands of policemen deployed to secure more than 7,000 student athletes and their coaches from Baguio and Tabuk cities and six Cordillera provinces.

Dela Rosa said the police would be “on their toes 24/7” to solve the attack and to sustain the “peaceful atmosphere that Abra has worked hard to achieve.”

Abra used to be under the supervision of a joint police and military task force, after a fact-finding team in 2005 confirmed that political families had maintained private armed groups, some composed of moonlighting policemen and soldiers.

These groups were suspected to have undertaken the assassinations of Abra’s political leaders: former La Paz Mayor Marc Ysrael Bernos; Rep. Luis Bersamin Jr., brother of Supreme Court Associate Justice Lucas Bersamin; and Board Member James Bersamin.

During the opening program of the Caraa meet, Gov. Ma. Jocelyn Bernos, widow of Marc Ysrael Bernos, said people who threw the grenades were out to tarnish Abra’s peaceful image and derail events like the Caraa.

Tight security

Security has been tight at the sports meet. Policemen frisked every delegate who entered Bangued’s athletic oval during the opening program on Sunday.

Starting Monday, police enforced an 8 p.m. curfew for participating athletes. The children were expected to be back at that hour in 13 billeting areas in La Paz, Pidigan and this capital town, said Supt. Damian Olsim, Abra police director.

He said 54 policemen had been tasked to secure the schools hosting the Caraa delegates. Some schools also sent their own security teams.

The police also enforced a gun ban, which included a suspension of permits to carry or transport firearms and explosives from Feb. 4 to 9.

The gun ban also covered the Bangued town fiesta on
Feb. 23-26, and the province’s Kawayan Festival from March 1 to 9. —KARLSTON LAPNITEN WITH A REPORT FROM EV ESPIRITU