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Abra governor optimistic on local peace talks

BAGUIO CITY (April 25) — Abra Governor Vicente Valera is certain peace talks brokered in Manila last week between politicians figuring decades-long rivalry will nail the long standing violence in the province.

In a telephone interview, Valera said problems concerning Abra province’s issues involving “rival politicians” (specifically him and Lagayan town mayor Cecille Luna) will be subjected to mediation as agreed during Friday’s peace talks brokered by Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Angelo Reyes.

Apparently, the Valera-Luna rivalry peaked when Luna filed murder charges against Valera for allegedly “commissioning” with a consideration of P300,000. Army Col. Noel Mislang, then commander of the Abra-based 41st IB was allegedly tasked to assassinate Luna and members of her family last year.

Valera, a lawyer, however said he did not receive any summon from any court including orders from the Ombudsman for the charges leveled against him.

“I welcome the cases that they filed against me. I appreciate Mayor Luna having filed the cases so that I will have the opportunity to answer, clear and vindicate my name for the charges which to me are unfounded,” he said.

Earlier, Mayor Luna’s husband, Roger, ran versus Valera in the gubernatorial race, but lost. Both rivals exchanged barbs of allegations of using guns, goons and gold.

Valera however sounded very cheerful during the meeting with Reyes, adding that he and Luna even had a pleasant exchange of words.

Negotiated political settlement

Mediators, Valera said, will be identified by Reyes. He added that they will receive inputs and feedbacks on how to resolve the issues from both sides.

Included in the contentious issues between Valera’s administration camp and the opposition in Abra is the peace and order situation in the province that even led to the pull-out of the 529 policemen in the province who were replaced with personnel from Baguio City and Benguet province.

The opposition including Luna and La Paz Mayor Ysrael Bernos insists that Valera and his camp refuses to recognize that there is a deep-seated peace and order problem in the province. Bernos claims Valera and his allies of 24 mayors are “dampening” the apparent “culture of violence” in the province that even the local police cannot stamp down.

Valera insists however that Abra is relatively peaceful compared to other provinces. He claimed that 24 of the Abra mayors are of the opinion and belief that Abra is peaceful contrary to impressions that it is disorderly.”

“Although we agree with Sec. Reyes,” (decision to pull-out policemen) the governor reiterated, “we are against the impression that Abra is disorderly,”he added.

The governor bantered on a “confidential report” by former Cordillera police director Chief Supt. Jesus Verzosa last month that tagged Valera coddling a private army to perpetuate himself to power. The report alleged that Verzosa begged journalists not to credit to him the recommendation that government lift the deputation of Valera to choose police officials in Abra.

“We want Abra to be evaluated by unbiased people,” Valera said.

Pull-out to be "reevaluated”

Valera said the pull-out of the 529 Abra policemen is temporary because they agreed before Reyes that the decision will be subjected to a re-evaluation by a group.

He said he was supposedly included in the re-evaluation group that included the PNP provincial director and the NAPOLCOM but he begged off.

“Sec. Reyes proposed that I should sit in the group to re-evaluate both in the provincial and regional level but I begged off to douse insinuations that I will influence the decision,” he claimed. Valera further bared that the total pull-out of Abra’s policemen will be a temporary arrangement. # Artemio A. Dumlao for NORDIS

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