(philstar.com)
BAGUIO CITY, Philippines – Abra town executives led by League of Mayors’ President and re-elected La Paz town mayor Joseph Sto Nino Bernos downplayed reports that the province has become a “ghost town” after the May 13 polls.
Reacting to reports on television and newspapers about poll-related violence, Bernos said that “not a single shooting or poll related killing occurred” in the area.
Although admitting that there were heightened tensions among rivals and their supporters before and during the elections, no untoward incident or actual violence happened, Bernos said.
An alleged supporter of a losing mayoral bet in Abra was gunned down before the elections in Bangued, but authorities doubt it was poll-related as victim was allegedly involved in drug trafficking.
Bernos added that the “voters turn-out (80 percent) was tremendously high in his hometown.
Some reports claimed that losing politicians who allegedly bought votes for P3,000 each might vent their ire on opponents or even “paid voters”, prompting most to hide or even flee the province.
Bernos, however, denied that there was vote-buying in the province.
The Cordillera police claimed that out of the six partisan armed groups in the Cordillera (mostly in Abra), only one has remained.
At the exit assessment of conduct of the May 13 polls here, authorities describedlast Monday’s elections in the highland region as “generally peaceful” even with reports of defective PCOS machines, some shootings and intense political rivalries in the provinces.
Authorities attributed the peaceful polls to a four-pronged strategy in place a year before the elections, said Cordillera police director Chief Supt. Benjamin Magalong.
“Lahat di makapaniwala na halos walang nangyari,” Mayor Bernos said.
The four-phase strategy which was formulated in consultation with stakeholders to address the fragile situation in the region started with the identification of critical issues and concerns and pursued through sustainable action plans, said Magalong.
Since the start of the gun ban, authorities recorded a yield of 80 assorted firearms, 73 of which were confiscated and seven were recovered.
At least 96 persons were arrested and 77 cases for violation of the gun ban were lodged in different courts.
Magalong said, a critical component of the strategy that contributed much to the dousing of tension between feuding politicians in Abra and Kalinga is the Conflict Mediation and Diffusion (CMD).
“It is an innovation in peacekeeping and a venue where contending parties are allowed to ventilate their emotions, sentiments, and impressions by openly and freely bringing out personal as well as political issues against each other in a 3-4 hour session”. We employed ‘active listening skills (ALS)’ and kept in order a free for-all discussion. In fact, 11 sessions that were held between political rivals in Abra and Kalinga ended with meaningful handshakes and hugs, Magalong said.
The Cordillera police also attributed as the most important factor that led to peaceful polls in the region, “is the involvement of the private sectors like the Abra Convenors Group, the help and cooperation extended by the religious sectors, the objective media reporting, and the neutrality displayed by the police.”
At least 3,744 PNP and Army personnel were deployed for poll duties in 1, 370 polling places in the whole highland region. – Artemio A. Dumlao
http://www.philstar.com/election-2013/2013/05/17/943188/mayor-denies-abra-lawless-town
abrenian.com 
nu han ka met nga ulbod sal-it!. . . . .adda man natayen haan?..niya iti maybagam dita garud?..sal-it!. . .jay natay idi sakbay election, han nga politically inclined?..siete!. . .ulbod. . agpapada kayo ta pulis yo. . dogyot. . .kaloban yu lang gamin tapno di kayo maperdi a pupulis dogyot. . ikkaten u uniporme un salbag!. . .ulbod!. . . . .nu anya laeng iti utek nga adda kadakayo . . .panay kayo ulbod. . ameng…sairo . .inotil . . agapada kayo . .awan serserbi u a parswa. . . .bwisit!. . . .
Posted by Sasairo a pulis/politiko | May 19, 2013, 12:55 amSinal it dan…agkakadwa da pulis kada army…..mano ya imbaybayad da kanyayo.di ka plang agawid nga magalong jy lugar mo…agpapada kayo…kwarta inusar da
Posted by inggo | May 19, 2013, 1:19 amUlbod a napekpeklan datoy nga BABOY AWAN KANO TI Vote buying, agbibisin.
Posted by Close quarter battle | May 19, 2013, 12:59 amULBOD AH NGATA TALAGA DAYTA JABLU,BUYING. APAYEN AGPAPARIS DAMETTEN PULIS,.KADA ARMYN.
Posted by takki | May 19, 2013, 1:31 amhe he he . . .usto nga olbod detoy nga mayor. awan kano ti vote-buying . . come on, boy, give us a break! Sana kuna “halos walang nangyari!” . .ay ket adda a garud met la nangyari. laglag!
Posted by candido palpallatok ti bigbigat | May 19, 2013, 6:19 amapay awan mata na awan lapayag na dayta nga mayor agpakita ka kaniak nga mayor ta ikkan ka ti disiplinary action walang kang kwenta nga namumuno jan alis ka jan sa pwesssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssto mo hindi ka karapat dapat jan….
Posted by takki | May 19, 2013, 10:08 amabrA KARUMAL DUMAL ANG ELECTION
Posted by takki | May 19, 2013, 12:00 pmWOW, such level of discourse.
Posted by meoff | May 19, 2013, 12:01 pmTAENA! wala daw Vote buying sa Abra…lokohin mo sarili mo, ulol! Wawa naman ang probinsiya natin, corrupt at sinungaling mga namumono….
Posted by kiddo | May 19, 2013, 2:35 pmTaga La Paz nak baboy JB, ulbod ka… Kasla lang kakaasi ti tatatao ti inubra yo. Pinagpila yo isuda ket nagiwaras ka ti tig 1,500, maysa aldaw sakbay eleksyon nagiwaras kayo manen tig 500. Mas apresyarek koma nga no panagririgat ket pagpilaen ti tattao ken warasan yo ida ti bagas ken kuarta ta adda pangsilpo da ti biagda bayat panangparigat yo.
Posted by ando | May 19, 2013, 7:08 pmAdda nga ta namnama ti panagdur-as ti vote buying nga kaso? No awan ania t serbina ti linteg?
Napintas t naaramidan dagiti pannakabagi ti linteg. Bassit t natay, compara t kallabes, naisurender dagiti criminals, napapatay t dadduma, naneutrlized dagiti adu nga PAGS. SIMMAYAAT TI LINAK KEN TALNA. Ngarud, rebbengns nga saluduan tayo t PNP, ARMY saan tay ket pagsasawan nga kasla nalalaing tayo ngem isuda? Ania ti naaramidam nga mapannakelmo? Adda kadi kabsat?
Posted by Tagamasid | May 19, 2013, 8:04 pmkayat mo nga saw en TAGAMASID kaloykoyam jay salsalawasen ni JB Bernos nga awan ti vote buying? di da kam met ah nga pagbalinen nga tangtangaag!!!! padasen yo man ti agsurvey ti tattao no anya ti rumwar nga resulta na no adda vote buying wenno awan…. TAGAMASID ka kadi nga agpayso???
Posted by TAGA_BAKIR | May 20, 2013, 5:14 pmAnia ti kayat ti sawen diay “ania ti serbina ti linteg” no awan banagenna ti kaso nga vote buying? Saan kadi nga kayatna nga ipakita nga nasakit ti riknak no saan nga masurot ti linteg? Nagpipinta ti linteg tayo ngem saan met nga maiplementar. Saan nga polis ti kangrunaan nga mangtunton daytoy no di ketdi mairaman t COMELEC, dept of justice ken uray data yo. No kastoy lattan, tay buis nga para services coma isu met la paggatangda, kasano koma ngarud nga adda pandur-asan ti biag ni pilipino?
Posted by Tagamasid | May 27, 2013, 7:17 amNangted ka pay kwarta ken david goliath guzman ti 3M. Madi met nagbalin kandidatom sadiay dolores boss jeybe
Posted by Electric boy | May 20, 2013, 1:29 ampunyeta u amin nga switik… Makarma kaun kuma!
Posted by gregyybull | May 20, 2013, 2:04 amnya kano?awan t vote buying? Aggadil ken abiggang koma t ngiwat t nangibaga nga awan t votebuying. Apo kayo met nangabak kayon dyo pay la aminen,nya la koman nu wen nagvotebuying kami ngem agyaman kami ta binotosan dakami aramiden mi ti osto ken pondo nga panagtoray kona yo lattan a koman nasisiyaat pay a denggen kaysa ipapilit da nga awan, ammo met t amin dayta.
Posted by AGKOKOTEL | May 20, 2013, 2:26 amI
Posted by Mumford Jackson Hutchison | May 20, 2013, 7:19 amExactly,I agree that he denies..it’s he’s easy tactic gain all vote buying in control.EATING PEOPLES ALIVE IN Abra that’s why I can see no tourist interested to visit here
Posted by Mumford Jackson Hutchison | May 20, 2013, 7:27 amdati ALL LAWYERS ARE LIAR tatta saanen ta ALL POLITICIANS IN ABRA ARE LIAR… jablo kayo amin
Posted by TAGA_BAKIR | May 20, 2013, 5:18 pmPangngaasim bos JB ta lakuan na kmi a taga lagayan ti bagas. ta awan met basol mi nga umili. madinakami koma iraman nga bekkelen ta ammom met nga seasonal lng ti panagraep ditoy ayanmi.Aglalalo ita panagririgat manen.Nasayaat lng koman no malpas ni bos Jen jay irrigasyon min ta makatalon kmi ditoy ti mamin tallo.
Posted by majinbu | May 20, 2013, 10:30 pmKastoy kadi ti amin nga Media ditoyen? Apay nga iprintada lattan ti sawen ti ka-uulbodan nga tao ti rabaw ti daga, ket dida man laeng sukisuken ti kinapudno sakbay nga iprintada iti “yot-paper” da. Magalong, you’re full of shit-ikidem mo ta matam no adda aggatang ti botos, vote-buying is against the law, are you aware of this law? You don’t deserve to be a law enforcer or an officer of PNP. Nakababain kayo nga klase ti tattao, sunggo koma ti nagbalinanyo.
Posted by Genti | May 21, 2013, 10:48 amapay dikayo payla nauma nga agsal-salawasaw? Uyawen yo dagita tattao… basaen yo dagita isursurat yo ta kitaen yo no sinno ti magat takki ti ngiwat na…… hahahaha… inkayo ketdi makimisan ta bareng makissayan tabasbasol yo annak … Nalpasen idin… Nadagsen nga awiten ti abaga iti napalalo nga sakit ti nakem…Dagita tattao nga salsalawasen yo, ket naimas turog da ti rabii… dakayo ket nakanganga kayo pay laeng.. intayo ketdi tumulong pagsayaatan ti ili…
Posted by Nana Baket | May 22, 2013, 10:54 amRUMMUAR LATTA TI KINAULBOD DAGITI BERNOS. SIASINO MAN NGA POLITIKO ITI ABRA TI MANGIBAGA AWAN TI GINNATANG TI BUTOS KET ISUDAN TI KAU-ULBODAN NGA PARSUA TOY RABAW TI DAGA. Bernos, you are the lowest form of creature on earth. “Shame on you”, no maawatam dagiti naisursurat ditoy.
Posted by Genti | May 22, 2013, 8:21 pmIsuna ti kaulbodan ken kasuitikan a mayor a naiparsua ket sapay koma ta sumurot to met la isuna ti yapak ni manong na nga El . Ada met damag gayam na napototan na Kano nga mayora sinno ngata impadamag ngamin ni best friend na nga bakla.
Posted by Close quarter battle | May 23, 2013, 11:09 amBaka jay kabarbaro nga mayora… isu da payen ti agsisinnidan… Bernos- valera-bernos… awan talna ti Abra. Puro patpatay ti aramid DA. Active ti Facebook tapno ipakita da ti takaw a baknang da… di da ket agtugaw jay opisina da ta kitaen da ti pagsyaatan ti aglawlaw da haan nga puro pasyar.. facebook.. instgram amin a garaw da…
Posted by Sagibo | May 24, 2013, 1:33 amPiece of advise kakailian a taga abra ken kangrunaana ti Bangued, malagip ko man nga I baga kada kayo Amin nga rimuaren ti husto nga karma ti abra buisit kunak man laengen nga dagitoy Eric Parel ken grupo na ta no sino ti pakikaduaan da ket maabaken kunak man laengen grbbe ti madi ngamin nga ugali ken kinabuakaw deta a pamilya sinagrap dan ti husto nga biag.
Posted by Andong Guzman | May 25, 2013, 7:48 amApay adda pay laeng mamati ken ni buakaw nga Eric? Wenno dagitay laeng adda paka-iranudanda (inom, pulotan ken bassit nga kuarta) kenkuana ti kumadkadua kenkuana. Nasayaat met ta maramananda ti kuarta ni baketna ta paga-ammok nga pulos/nada/awan ti mabalbalin ni Eric ta saan met nga agobran. Ti la agdawdawat ken baketna (agriri pay ket dagitay siumannan ta kanayon met nga maibibusan ni inangdan) iti kuarta. Apagbayad dagitay “taraken” (residents) na, maitedna a dagus ken Eric ket isunton piman ti umut-utang ti pagpakanna kadagitoy tarakennan. Naikkat ni Eric sadiay pagubraanna (nurse aide saan nga doktor kas ilaslastogna) gapu iti kinasadut (“unauthorized face” on the job-agmisuot no mabaon).
Posted by Genti | May 27, 2013, 10:36 am