Philippine Daily Inquirer
BAGUIO CITY—Abra officials on Wednesday turned over their firearms, including imported high-caliber rifles, to the Philippine National Police for safekeeping and as part of a campaign to stop political killings in the province.
National Police Chief Nicanor Bartolome receives an automatic shotgun with rotary drum magazine from Governor Eustaquio Bersamin during turnover rites in Camp Villamor witnessed by Chief Supt. Benjamin Magalong and Senior Supt. Alexander Rafael (right). MANNY PALMERO
Chief Supt. Benjamin Magalong, Cordillera police director, said Director General Nicanor Bartolome, PNP chief, attended the turnover rites in the capital Bangued. The rites were held there as part of the government’s Project Hope (Honest, Orderly and Peaceful Elections) for 2013.
Senior Insp. Alvin Fabro, Cordillera police public information officer, said 40 licensed automatic rifles and 10 unlicensed firearms were turned over to Magalong.
Exchange deal
In exchange for relinquishing their firearms, the Abra politicians would be given bodyguards from the Cordillera police’s Special Action Force, he said.
Some of the firearms belong to officials like Abra Gov. Eustaquio Bersamin and Rep. Maria Jocelyn Bernos, Fabro said. The other firearms belong to suspected members of private armed groups, who are hired as security aides by local politicians.
A 2005 government fact-finding mission confirmed that some homicide cases during elections in Abra involved these private armed groups, as well as soldiers and policemen who were being paid by local politicians.
As a result of the fact-finding mission, the government reassigned the province’s police officers and replaced them with new ones under the Task Force Abra.
Last year, Magalong led talks with the province’s political clans and Carmelita Bersalona, who heads the Abra Peace Convenors Group, to try to end political conflicts. Vincent Cabreza, Inquirer Northern Luzon
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/232497/abra-execs-turn-over-firearms-to-police
abrenian.com 
Fool the press not abrenios. Please enlighten me, what is evil sought to be avoided in this pogi points move of the PNP. We have personal knowledge that there are a lot of unlicensed firearms around the corner which is beign used by PAGs this should be the target of the PNP not the license firearms.
Posted by procopio | July 23, 2012, 6:10 pmgood only for photo ops on broadsheets,another star for both magalong and bartolome from the commander in chief but a sure sign of failed police intelligence and an INSULT to us abrenians !who are they fooling with? licensed firearms for safekeeping and loose firearms for killing? por dios por santo !
Posted by pagalsem | July 23, 2012, 7:09 pmi think it is not the fault of the abra provincial police intelligence unit PAGALSEM.they know whos who here in abra and i think somewhere in their files are the approximate number of guns that belong to a certain clan here in abra,only they are afraid to act decisively due to the reason that they are under the local goverment !they would be laying and throwing away their promotions as well as putting their families in grave danger,for abra.is only a small hunting ground for the rich and powerful ,so with these reasons above,i do hope you can understand now why the ABRA PNP is inutile
Posted by pagalsem | July 24, 2012, 1:28 amMAAM CHING VALERA FOR GOVERNOR AGAINST TAKIT BERSAMIN ROUND 2
Posted by bird abra | July 27, 2012, 7:16 amArya Abra Latta!
Posted by Horse Rider | August 1, 2012, 10:36 pmExciting bout now that the pnp is not controlled by crooked general
Posted by Turned-back | July 27, 2012, 11:11 ami do agree with you T BACK,that this coming election would be the best bout in history of abra politics,for it will be a return bout for the protagonists. both parties will be going for the jugular,their battle cry would be “DO OR DIE” losing would result to a political downfall or political oblivion.LET THE PEOPLE DECIDE and let us see WHOS WHO here in abra!
Posted by KARASAKAS | August 6, 2012, 1:54 amagree agree
Posted by engot | August 6, 2012, 2:18 amthe PNP controlled by a general? are you fooling us T BACK? the PNP is a big ORGANIZATION ,too large to be controlled by a single officer,though high as a brigadier general or higher. but talking about CONTROL, it would mean a totalitarian goverment which we are not!
Posted by pagalsem | August 6, 2012, 7:02 pmreferring to MARTIN dogie before……
Posted by kapoy | August 9, 2012, 10:53 pmPagalsem it seems that you don’t know the history or either you tend not to recognize the effort of the pnp under the the general whom kapoy mentioned above. You are one of takits henchman mana sa amo.
Posted by Turned back | August 10, 2012, 3:26 pmnot my fault TBACK,you had not specified the word REGIONAL COMMAND.but you had stated the PNP as a whole. me,a TAKITs HENCHMAN? you make laugh.i dont want to do anything related to politics,but recruit me for a better ABRA then rest assured,i will join!
Posted by pagalsem | August 13, 2012, 10:38 pmReply to pagalsem comment on July 24, I know a lot of officers who can risk their career and livelihood for abra to be an ideal place to live in unfortunately they are gone. Those assigned here now who can not perform your sworn duty instead of making alibi that you are under dilg better pack up your things and go back to Baguio and ask takit to let the army performed your job. I salute you army for being sugod and sugod as ordered.
Posted by One eye jack | August 10, 2012, 3:56 pmthe feeling is mutual ONE EYE,i miss those men in uniform who can stand to their principles,those who have the courage to say NO,when their moral and sworn duty is breached. wearing the uniform,is one of the noblest profession,for there is no capital involved,EXCEPT life!
Posted by pagalsem | August 15, 2012, 9:10 pmWhat happened to the case of the Board member? Recently, one of the witnesses against her was shot to death….
Posted by procopio | August 16, 2012, 6:00 pmshe is behind bar at baguio city j, what else she can do?
Posted by "katsa" | August 17, 2012, 1:38 pm