By Jamie Marie Elona
INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines—Two men, including an alleged leader of a partisan armed group, operating in Abra and nearby Cordillera provinces, were arrested Sunday evening in Pasig City.
Their arrest came as the Philippine National Police stepped-up its campaign against private armies, the PNP spokesman said Monday.
Chief Superintendent Generoso Cerbo Jr. identified the arrested suspects as Prudencio Britanico, 44, the alleged leader of the PAG Britanico; and alleged group member Robert Villastiqui, 39.
Police said the two are wanted for murder cases.
Cerbo said the suspects were arrested in Barangay (village) Dela Paz in Pasig City by a composite team of police operatives from the Abra and Pasig police offices.
Chief Superintendent Benjamin Magalong, Cordillera regional director, said both suspects are “active PAG” members.
The group is believed to be responsible for at least seven, mostly politically motivated shooting incidents in the province recently, Cerbo said.
“Upon their arrest, the suspects yielded an X9 machine pistol and five assorted vehicle plate numbers,” Cerbo said.
The PNP, he added, has accounted for some 5,000 loose firearms from January to October this year in a bid to seize illegal guns beings used by PAGs, criminal elements and unauthorized individuals, as part of PNP’s election security measures for the 2013 polls.
Cerbo earlier said the PNP is looking into at least 60 suspected PAGs nationwide, nine are allegedly based in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
“No private armed groups would be spared, whether they are related to any organization, any party, or any individual,” Deputy Director General Alan Purisima, head of Task Force Safe (Secured and Fair Elections) earlier said.
He also said the PNP is in the process of fine-tuning the memorandum circular for the upcoming elections, and will probably be finished within the week.
“Basically, this memorandum circular…would be the blue print to be followed by our PNP units until the elections are over,” the spokesman said.
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/306048/2-alleged-members-of-abra-private-army-fall
abrenian.com 
Good job to the PNP intelligence Unit of Abra. This may perhaps a step to restore the confidence of the people of Abra to PNP.
Posted by Ubbo | November 12, 2012, 6:31 pmTwo thumbs up to the PNP. With or without the confidence of the people, surge forward, you must.
Posted by Abo | November 12, 2012, 7:22 pmDapat ma identify din kung sino ang protektor ng mga nahuli. Sinong politician sa Abra ang handler so we would know and campaign against this politicians!!
Posted by bogart | November 12, 2012, 7:27 pmsana mahuli na lahat ng mga killers at lalong lalo na yong mga politicians na nag-aalaga ng mga most wanted persons para maging peaceful na rin ang province natin. Nakakahiya kasi ang identity nila sa mga taga abra ay mga killers daw.
Posted by silaw | November 12, 2012, 7:59 pmKudos to the entire police force for a job well done! RD Magalong really means business to deliver in his promise of eliminating bad elements in Abra! Saludo kadakayo apo ti Abrenio!
Posted by Aladeen | November 12, 2012, 10:58 pmmaganda ang pagkakahuli ng mga criminal na yan para mabawasan ang mga salot sa abra pero mas maganda pa sana kung lahat buwagin na ang mga private armies na yan kasi kung iisang side lang ang mga hinuhuli nila di rin lubusang tatahimik ang abra.
Posted by itneg | November 12, 2012, 11:31 pmhay naku,c demonic ah ang may hawak nyan cno pa b? demonyo ang pumapatay ng tao.ganun lang yun.dapat hindi na nabuhay pa nung hinuli yan.inuwi pa d2 sa bangued,ireremeju yan na ilabas cgurado,sna ma snipe na naman sa korte yan.
Posted by ikis | November 13, 2012, 5:57 amAla dakayo nga maka-ammo, inaganan yo man dagita bata-bata ti pu-pulitiko. Tapno ammo tayo met ah ti tiltiliwen tayo…lalo dagita adda outstanding warrant of arrest da iti kaso…Go!
Posted by KUMPORME LATTAN | November 13, 2012, 11:41 pmanother feather to the cap of GEN MAGALONG and to ALL PNP PERSONNEL who made the apprehension a success!! i salute you for a job well done.!!
Posted by pagalsem | November 14, 2012, 4:22 pmKUDOS to the men involved in apprehending those criminals,abra can breath a little better with those men in jail but abra can sleep if the PNP nails down ALSO their HANDLER !!
Posted by KARASAKAS | November 14, 2012, 4:31 pmgood job sir mendoza you save many lives in abra for neutralizing britanico and villastique especially those pnp assigned in tayum when his brother died infront of the police station will treat you as their hero.
Posted by tayum widower | November 14, 2012, 8:10 pmI had been right all along that President Aquino thru his handlers like future General Magalong and his brave honest men will not totally ignore the province of Abra in his nationwide campaign against these victims of a sick society untirelessly used by our corrupt politicians. Well, it should be noted that without the greedy evil motives of our politicians, these PAGS should have not been existed in the first place in providing protection of their evil interests by illimanating and harassing their political opponents including righteous and courageous poor innocent bloods that resist to bow down with their power. On the other hand, we can not blame them for it worked for decades courtesy of our crook past government elected officials headed by a corrupt judicial system. But now that before we have totally lost our hopes, here comes our own “Moises” (President Aquino) bringing or promising another chance for a better life in the province. All we need to do now, is just to encourage our hiding rightful would-be political leaders to come out from their comfort zones and run confidently for any elective office in the next election. There are lot of them hiding somewhere especially in abroad but weeping silently in everyday of their lives because they can never get a chance to serve their constituents in politics. But then and again, it depends to our national leaders if they could maintain whatever beneficials our current president have created/started when his term expires. But if I may say; what a coward pathetic frustrated politicians we are if we could never face a risky challenge in life! What is life without risk especially if for all intents and purposes, it is our calling or destiny to serve not to be served? How could we sleep soundly?
Posted by bagelbel | November 15, 2012, 5:22 amI hope that more arrest will be conducted soon! Bersalona, Britanico, Villastiqui are all being link to just one political family(not sure if true?). I would like to see arrest of PAG’s from the other political families also…. Kasi kung one side lang ang hinuhuli then i suspect that these are all politically motivated perpetrated by a political rival in connivance with the PNP?
Posted by Juan doe | November 15, 2012, 7:11 pmThose arrested are with warrants of arrest. The Police cannot just pick up anybody without such warrant otherwise, they will be charged. Kaasi met ti pulis no makasoan ta awan tumulong pagbayad abogado.
If you know someone who is wanted by the law, give info to the police. It’s how these people were arrested. Ngem amin tayo ket agbutbuteng, agdedebate tayo laengen toy abrenian.com. Di bale ta it’s very safe talking here.
Posted by Bacero | November 15, 2012, 7:33 pmThe entire peace loving people of Abra salute You supt. Magalong. May God bless u n your brave policemen for job well done. We trust u r unlike with former big partisan. More success will bring us hope n peace.
Posted by Tamang Landas | November 16, 2012, 9:36 amnagsayaaten apo ta makissayan pagbutbutngan dagiti taga abra ngem kasano nga yen ket duddua met la natiliw ket agkaiwara met killer ditoy probinsiya tayo? ken maysa pay apo uray kasano panagputed mo sanga no di maputed puon na ah ket agsaringit to manen ket ad-adun to pay.. madi latta kabsat! agpayso awan maaramid dagiti kapulisan no awan warrant na ket kasano ngay ket awan met maikkan warrant nga political warlord ta nalaeng da met agilisi bagbagi da!!! no kasta sitwasyon ket bale awan to met la serbi na panagtiliw kapulisan ta maka-recruit dan to manen ket baka nauy-uyong to pay dagiti baro nga killer da.
Posted by manna.lon | November 16, 2012, 10:56 pmAla mayatak kadagita kapanunotan yo nga babaen ti kinatured dagitoy POLICE tayo with the sincerest support of our judicial system agbaliw met laengen nga main-inot ti kinabangsit wenno kinarugit ti pakasaritaan ti probinsiya tayo nga Abra. The provincial Comelec lawyer and her trusted subordinates are noted as well of doing now what is right and there’s no reason why we couldn’t dream (after 3 years from now) of a new life full of hopes that will emerge in all corners of the province. Why and how? Because we would be able by then to elect brave and righteous political leaders.
Ti probleman to laengen ket dagitoy non-elective government workers nga nakarkaro pay ngem alimatek nga agsupsup ti dara mi marigrigat wenno agtakaw ti kuarta ti gobierno dida ammo nga mabilbilangen dagiti aldaw da. Kasapulan na ngarud nga nayunan tayo pay ti agkararag ta bareng tuloy-tuloyen ti kinatured dagitoy polis ken hustisiya tayo nga mangsuporta kadagiti other government agencies nga mayat met wenno umapal nga agaramid iti husto.
Sika nga nasirib ken dagiti sumagmamano nga padak nga agngaw-ngaw laeng ditoy, saan mo koma nga ipagarup nga sika ti gapuna no apay nga main-inot nga marikna tayon ti kinapudno wenno kinatured dagitoy Police, Comelec, etc. agsipud ta mabain ka met nga agkararag. Ti pagpatinggaan laeng ti utek mo is that the universe and everything in it were created by human beings/efforts not God. No iwaras mo koma ti panagkitam wenno panunot mo, mano kadi iti kada pamilya ti mamati nga adda Diyos? Saan ka nga agulbod ti nakitam nga maymaysa ka laengen nga naidumduma wenno naiyaw-awan ta pati ni darling mo kayat na payen ti agbalbaliw ngem dika met agpatingga nga mangsulsulisog kenkuana. Agindadamag ka pay no ania dagitoy nga banbanag wenno kontra nga pagayatan ti Dios uray no ammom to met laeng, ulbod/hyphocrite! Ni satanas (wenno dayta bagim) laengen ti saludsodem ta dika met mamati piman nga thru Moises adda linteg nga naggapuan/nangibaseran da iti amin nga linteg ditoy sangalubongan.
Utang tayo amin dagitoy kadagiti priests/preachers ta no saan da nga natured wenno nagaget nga mangakaskasaba kadatayo (poor majority) nga agkararag saan koma nga marikna dagitoy inot-inot nga panagbalbaliw ti probinsiya tayo ket sapay koma ken Apo ta saan tayo nga urayenen ti 3 pay nga tawen ta paminpinsanen nga agbaliw wenno agbaliktad ti utek dagitoy puro agtatakaw/agu-ungab nga ibotos tayon to no Mayo 2013.
Posted by bodowan | November 17, 2012, 5:18 amI hope the PNP provides very tight security for these suspects. I would hate to see them meet the same fate as their compadre ABAT who was gunned down/sniped as he left the Hall of Justice in Bangued! I wouldn’t be surprised if these two had a hand in eliminating ABAT! Make them sing like a canary, General Magalong and hopefully they identify the person who employs them! I suggest you start preparing the papers to file an HDO on some people from Bangued.
Posted by itellitlikeitis | November 17, 2012, 10:41 amIf my assumption is right, these subject victims of a sick society herein were born in the same place/barangay where Abat was born. Therefor, I think it’s far from the truth that they could eliminate their own compadre. But who knows, they might have some other reasons why, like what you are trying to imply? I think General Magalong have already some knowledge as to their employers but to connect their relationship is still remains to be seen. Let’s wait and see how he handles it and hopefully, he will do it bravely, honestly, and successfully without any doubt to be left in the mind of the abrenians. To avoid further negative suspicions in the abrenians’ mind, I suggest that he would be also successful in hunting others that belong to the different employers, regardless of their political affiliation or connection. Then and only then, that we are finally convinced that he is really doing everything like a man in his power the restoration of justice and peace in our province and not just because he was only forced by the power of the majority poor abrenian’s prayers.
Posted by pittipitti-am-ammatit | November 19, 2012, 8:33 amGlimpse of down is now over the horizon in Abra thr d pres, supt magalong group n helpful concern abrenians.Let us rejoice n continue to cross hands trusting the guiding hands Above to give d Light. Darkness s nothing against the Light. If darkness is d shelter of our local leaders now, with our collective prayers for them, God will give d light to their n heart n mind to conquer d dark. ” anything we ask n His Name will b given “
Posted by Tamang Landas | November 27, 2012, 8:46 amTi damag ket napigsa Kano ni Joey Brillantes a para mayor ti Tayum ta tamang daan ken Ada met Panag Emma na ti kaaduam.
Posted by Edwin v | November 29, 2012, 4:15 pm