Comelec places Abra under its control

The Commission on Elections on Tuesday agreed to place Abra under its control, granting the request made by the governor himself who said it was needed to prevent lawlessness in his province. "The petitioner in this case is none other than the governor himself praying that the province be put under Comelec control because of lawlessness. When you place a province under Comelec control, you practically disempower the governor, and he is the one (asking for it) so why should we not take over?," Comelec chairman Benjamin Abalos told reporters shortly after the en banc session of the poll body. Abra Gov. Vicente Valera has been tagged in the murder of Abra Rep. Luis Bersamin by the family of the slain lawmaker. Bersamin and his police bodyguard Adelfo Ortega were gunned down on Dec. 16, 2006 at the Mt. Carmel Church in Quezon City. The Bersamin family has opposed placing Abra under Comelec control. Comelec Commissioner Romeo Brawner was named officer-in-charge of Abra. Brawner, in a separate interview, clarified that the Comelec has yet to decide on Valera's request to replace the Task Force Abra, headed by Col. Eugene Martin, whom the governor has accused of being biased against him and his political allies in the province. "We may or may not accede to the request of Gov. Valera. What is important is we would have direct supervision and control over all officials and police enforcement agency of the province for the purpose of conducting a clean, free, honest, orderly and credible elections in the province of Abra," Brawner said. The Comelec will create a task force, headed by Brawner, to would oversee all matters relation to the holding of elections this year in Abra. Brawner admitted that it is possible that Valera's petition to put Abra under Comelec control is just a way to have the police contingent in the province replaced. "Perhaps that is his motive in asking that Abra be placed under Comelec control but unfortunately the reason for putting Abra under Comelec control is to have clean, honest, peaceful and orderly elections, not for anything else," Brawner said. Brawner emphasized that his supervision and control over the province would only concern election-related matters and not the day-to-day operation of the provincial government. "Gov. Valera would remain governor. He would only be under our direct supervision and control for the conduct of the elections. He remains as a governor, for example if there is a denque fever outbreak in Abra, that would be the concern of the governor, not me," the Comelec official said. -GMANews.TV