By Jonathan Llanes, The Maryknoller
JUST came back from Bangued in Abra Province after being deployed by our station PTV 4 to cover the electoral process for this year’s midterm elections and guess what, the expected bloody elections was nil.
Yes there were reports of indiscriminate firing, yes there were reports of firecracker throwing incidents, yes there was even an incident tire spiking wherein the Chief of Police of Bangued was victim, and yes there was a case of a male person found dead in Brangay Sagap but all were far not politically related.
Cordilleras top cop Gen. Benjie Magalong who was personally present in Abra before and during the Election Day said that these were mere actions by disgruntled political hooligan supported trying desperately to wreak havoc in the conduct of the elections.
“This year’s conduct of the midterm elections in the province of Abra can be considered as generally peaceful” he said, and to this I must agree.
My colleagues were giving us to be ready, stay safe, get out of arms way, and expect the unexpected treatment which I took in positively. You know for us print and broadcast journalists, this treatment is just a way of saying “NO STORY IS WORTH DYING FOR”. And thanks to my colleagues for that.
But upon touching down in Bangued with the perception that it’s gonna be showtime, me and my Presidential Communications Operation Office teammates Regie and Walter from the Philippine Information Agency were starting to be disgruntled.
Disgruntled because what we were expecting did not push through. We forgot to expect the other possibility that it might not happen when it did.
In our interview with the general, Magalong stated that one reason why he considers it generally peaceful is that the funeral homes in the province were getting ready for the expected casualties of the political exercise by having caskets delivered by the truck loads.
Unfortunately for them, it was a nil. The amassed caskets were of no use since no one died the day before and during Election Day. T’sk. T’sk, T’sk!!!
And hail to the Abrenios who flocked the Saint James Cathedral on Sunday. All dressed in their Sunday attire and attending mass with the hope of ending a bloody election.
One may ask what happened? Well basing on what I experienced, the Abrenios finally succumbed to what we may coin as the political turn around meaning, wanting to exercise their right to suffrage with no threat to their lives.
Probably, the 65-70 percent voter turnout have been fed up with years of bloody elections and political hooliganism by money faced and gun wielding political tyrants lording their province. And good for them.
Hopefully, this can transcend to mire peaceful conduct of the electoral process coupled with the hope of a real practice of good governance.
Congratulations to the Philippine National Police, the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Commission on Elections and more importantly to the Abrenios for finally putting an end to the political violence in the province.
We can now truly say “ARYA ABRA”!
Published in the Sun.Star Baguio newspaper on May 17, 2
http://www.sunstar.com.ph/baguio/opinion/2013/05/17/llanes-abra-s-political-turn-around-282738
abrenian.com 
whatever basta for the good of the abrenos agkakaduatayo…….peacefulluy
Posted by korikz | May 16, 2013, 2:06 pmWen, agkakadua tayo para ti progreso ti Abra!
Posted by Bodong | May 16, 2013, 2:12 pmAgkaykaysa tayo para iti pagsyasyaatan ti kaadwan… ARYA ABRA PARA GIN AWA,TALNA KEN KAPWA..
Posted by Sagibo | May 16, 2013, 2:23 pmIs the writer of this article a professional journalist?! Whew!
Posted by candid palpallatok (ti bigbigat) | May 16, 2013, 2:27 pmCPTB; itong ryter na ito ay immature este amateur he he he! Agkoran pay la ti bokadora na giem he he he he!
Posted by Salawasaw | May 16, 2013, 4:37 pmhehehe . . . . nomona ta inmentionna pay ptv 4 a patratrabahoanna . . . nia metten.
Posted by candido palpallatok ti bigbigat | May 17, 2013, 5:33 ampolpoltv4 koma ti istanyon na he he he he! The Maryknoller kam pay adi he he he! mayat fighting na ngem awan met spirit na he he he!
Posted by Salawasaw | May 17, 2013, 9:52 pmyes, yes yes yes yo! he he he
Posted by candido palpallatok ti bigbigat | May 17, 2013, 10:09 pmThe Armed Forces and the Phil. National Police really did a VERY VERY VERY GOOD JOB! Thanks Gen. Magalong for bringing back the trust and confidence of the citizenry to the PNP and AFP!
Posted by jebeju | May 16, 2013, 3:00 pmLet us congratulate ourselves for this ‘political turn-around’. We, the citizenry as law-abiding and peace-loving people of our beloved Province of Abra, should always be vigilant to safeguard whatever gains we have achieved in the past elections and at the same time cooperate with the duly-constituted authorities. WALA NG PASAWAY!
May I humbly suggest that:
First: The winners in this elections should reach-out to their political opponents and seek for their support for their would-be well-meaning programs. BE MAGNANIMOUS IN VICTORY!
Second: These elected officials should focus their plans and actions for the general welfare of the citizenry and pledge that they will not commit graft and corruption in implementing government projects. HUWAG MANGURAKOT!
Third: The citizens should be afforded all the chance and opportunity to air their individual grievances freely and democratically and/or encouraged to peacefully assemble through the formation of Non-governmental organizations (NGOs). MAKIA-ALAM! and
Fourth: Dagdagan nyo na!
Posted by Philips | May 18, 2013, 5:35 pmJebeju, no more tay tirada stylemo ta . nalpas met ellecsionen, djo. Idi sakbay ellecsyon ket kitam met tiradam. itan patinggaka la ti pagoodjobgoodjob-ben. nia pay garud keh nangabak met ni manoken. he he he. no makitkitam man ni ser syd vasquez ket bagamman ta apan agkombawa ken apo dominic-ken, kaasi met. kaasi met nga agmongmongit itan ta naabaken manokna a rayan. ngem director sa met abreco. ganasna baka likkabenda pay suna diayen ita piman. Nomona ta ammoda nga sidekick ni rayan. aguray, baka no makita ni apo dominic ket papispisanna, yos . . warningantayo man . . . “ser syd . . . kung nasaanka man, dyan ka na lang muna!”
Posted by candido palpallatok ti bigbigat | May 16, 2013, 4:31 pmtsk talaga mana ka sa amo mo panalo na nga kau gusto nyo pa bumawe sa mga kalaban nyo ako kaya harapin mu para bubulagta ka kht sa harapan ng munisipyo
Posted by eric shawn | May 17, 2013, 9:29 pmLet us see how Demonic restores the confidence of the people of Bangued.
Posted by ando | May 16, 2013, 7:53 pmNapilitan lng t tao nagbutos ken demonic……gapo jy dakkel pinqggatang na t butos
Posted by inggo | May 16, 2013, 9:37 pmANDO: kitaen tayo kuman ah no kasano nga sobboten ni Dominic jay 3k/voter ha ha ha… asa pa kayo!!!! di yo pay la aya napadasan ti panagturay ni apo Mila este apo Dominic??? amman…
Posted by TAGA_BAKIR | May 17, 2013, 5:49 pmANG MAALINGAWNGAW NA LUGAR AY HINDI NAKAKATAKOT ANG LUGAR NA TAHIMIK AY NAKAKATAKOT
Posted by takki | May 16, 2013, 10:31 pmBig money, no project- d winning secret. Kawawa naman ang hindi tumatanggap at provincia. May. Dominic, yong pera, walang kuenta, ta kararuam mahalaga, magbago kana, matanda kana. Asidegin ti panangsangom t Namarsua.
Gen Magalong, sir Soriano at buong PNP N AFP, WE SALUTE U 4 work we’ll done. Mabuhay kayo at buong family’s ninyo
Posted by Tagamasid | May 17, 2013, 8:11 amsapay koma ta nakariing ti taga abran.. ket ti koma bantayan ti MEDIA ita ket daguitay kurakot nga ofiyales ti gobierno, tapno mammaminsan ti panag dur-as ti tattao ditoy Abra.. nauman ti tattao ti puro pimpimnatay, kalaksidan na ti sumagmamano nga insidente. daytoy ket gapuen ti saririt ti PNP. ket sapay koma ta daguita PNP ket saandan nga mausar a goons daguitay agmauyong nga politiko. daytoyen ti baro nga agsapa ti probinsia nga Abra, ngem adu nga tao ti natay nga umuna sakbay nga nagun-od ti linak ken kappia. basta no agtrabaho daguitoy PNP ti husto, i’m very sure that total peace in abra will be achieved.
Posted by KULAS | May 17, 2013, 9:06 pmSaluduak dagiti taga Media ngem saan pay laeng nga ita. Agingga nga mairakurakda ti saan nga husto nga panagkurakot dagitoy opisyales ti gobyerno (including ABRECO), saanko ida nga saluduan no di ket ti pagsaludsodak ida. Mano ti it-ited dagiti opisyales kaniada (Media) tapnon agulimekda? Apay nga awan ti mangkuwestiyonar (taga Media) no napanan dagiti pondo ti gobyerno ti Abra? No kasano nga bimmaknang ni Konsehal, Bise, Mayor, Dir. ti ABRECO, kdpy? Apay nga saan nga dagitoy ti “siripenda” nga ipablaak iti publiko, saan ket nga tay kalsong ni Inday wenno Maria?
Posted by Genti | May 18, 2013, 2:50 pmnia ketdin aya, genti .. ket no naimimas met tay kalsong ni inday ken maria ngem tay ramay ni meyor (aglalo tay meyor lapas) nga siripenda! Ket no maramananda pay diay nagita nga kalsong ni maria . . karkaron nga awan maypablaakdan nga rinoker nga aramid daguiti politiko! hehehe
Posted by candido palpallatok ti bigbigat | May 19, 2013, 6:24 ambaka libre koryente da isu nga pati ngiwat da nakoryente. Kababain dagita a media nga aginmemedia dkayo pay la agresign amin awan mit la sisirbi yo. Shet kayo.pati pay mit abra today a pangnamnamaan koma a pakadamagan madi pay omono ta laing yo la nga mapan agsapol t agpaipublish t event etc.paglaingan yo tapno adda pangwartaan yo,pada u mit la gobiyrno.
Posted by AGKOKOTEL | May 20, 2013, 9:07 amMagustoak man nga basbasaen detoy nga article. It is so funny! Kastoy koma amin nga news writers ti inda panagsurat ta adda pagliwliwaan nga basaen a el-ellekan no malpas ti trabaho ti malem. hihihi
Posted by candido palpallatok ti bigbigat | May 19, 2013, 6:43 amABRA KARUMAL DUMAL ANG ELECTION
Posted by takki | May 19, 2013, 12:01 pm