The Bersamin family is back in power in Abra.

Former Governor Takit Bersamin reclaimed his seat in a landslide victory, alongside his niece Anne Bersamin, who won as vice governor.

Governor-elect Takit Bersamin, brother of Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, defeated rival candidates Joy and Kiko Bernos, a mother-and-son tandem. The win marks the political comeback of the Bersamins in the province.

One of Bersamin’s first moves as governor-elect was to seek help from a longtime ally to improve the province’s peace and order situation.

“Tulungan mo kami, Benji. Ikaw nagpatino ng Abra noong 2013,” Bersamin said, referring to Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong.

“Yes,” was Magalong’s response, according to Bersamin.

Magalong, a former PNP Cordillera chief, is now the head of the Cordillera Regional Peace and Order Council. He was previously credited for reducing violence in Abra more than a decade ago.

Bersamin said once security is stabilized, he plans to boost tourism to improve Abra’s economy.

He also aims to upgrade the provincial hospital to a tertiary-level facility within his first year so Abreños no longer need to travel to Ilocos for medial needs.

Meanwhile, lone district Representative JB Bernos, who is allied with the Bersamin camp, vowed to seek support from Executive Secretary Bersamin to bring more progress to the province.

Despite a shooting incident near a voting center in Bangued that injured two people, police still described the election in Abra as “generally peaceful.”