Police To Hunt Down Abra Town Mayoralty Bet

May 1, 2019 JUST IN

BANGUED, Abra (May 1, 2019) – Authorities will hunt down Tayum, Abra mayoralty bet Jose Marie Brillantes as soon as the court issues an arrest warrant after assault rifles and three high powered pistols including over a hundred bullets were seized from his campaign vehicle late Friday afternoon.
Abra police spokesperson Chief Inspector Grace Marron, in rectifying an information released by the Cordillera police information office said, there is no manhunt as yet against Brillantes even with the seized arms cache from a Ford Ranger pick-up truck he together with campaigners abandoned along a road after shooting at two barangay officials on April 23.
Policemen took out two M4 assault rifles, an M16 assault rifle, two Para Ordnance 45 caliber pistols and another STI Edge 45 caliber pistol, and over a hundred bullets from the pick-up truck abandoned by Brillantes and his group after Regional Trial Court branch 22 acting Executive Judge Gina Juan Chan in Narvacan, Ilocos Sur issued a search warrant.
One of the seized assault rifles, it was learned was even marked with an RP (Republic of the Philipppines) serial number, indicating that it is a government armory property or issued to policemen or law enforcers.
Abra governor Ma. Jocelyn Valera-Bernos, who earlier condemned Brillantes and his group “for their gall of bringing assault rifles and pistols even with the Comelec gun ban” again appealed for neutrality and professionalism within the uniformed servicemen, while urging the newly-stationed 27 Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) agents in the province to avoid being partisan to political rivalries.  “We especially call out against those ignoring the election gun ban flaunting they have protection from a high-ranking police official,” the terrified lady governor dared.
Only on Monday afternoon, Gov. Valera-Bernos’ group were reportedly on a campaign sorty in Lagangilang when their political foes, which the lady governor said, were aided by unidentified and not on uniform police and CIDG agents with assault rifles reportedly “harassed” them.
People were terrified especially that it took 4 hours before local police and soldiers “extricated” the lady governor from the stand-off.   “This situation might get worse,”  Valera-Bernos warned, as she reiterated her appeal to policemen and soldiers assigned in Abra “to follow their mandate”.
 
Some of the lady governor’s supporters were brought to the hospital reportedly because of trauma “because they saw people with long firearms not in uniform”, Valera-Bernos said.
Abra lawmaker Joseph Sto Nino Bernos, vice chairperson of the House of Representatives Committee on Public Order and Safety for Police Affairs, questioned the unprofessional conduct of the CIDG personnel, “bakit nilipat naba ang headquarters ng CIDG sa Abra?” referring to the deployment of the 27 CIDG agents in Abra and the reported stay of another top-ranked CIDG national headquarters official in the province.
One of Bernos’ opponent in the congressional race is Vicky Seares-Corpuz, wife of CIDG director Police Major General Amador Corpuz, and aunt of gubernatorial bet and Dolores town mayor Robert Victor “JR” Seares.
 
Thom F. Picana/ABN