(Political tensions escalate in the provinces as official campaign period for local candidates starts today)
by Artha Kira Paredes
VERA Files/VOTE 2010
Two farm helpers were arrested in Bangued, Abra on Tuesday by a group of 10 men led by a mayor and a police officer on suspicion that they were “imported goons” of Bangued Mayor Dominic Valera.
Valera immediately denied the allegations even as Lagayan Mayor Jendricks Luna and PO3 Benedict Bobias, who led the team that apprehended Freddie Bayle and Renel Balderas, refused to execute an affidavit of arrest to the police.
This led the Abra Provincial Police to ask the Philippine National Police Criminal Investigation and Detention Group to investigate the arrest without warrant made by Luna and Bobias’ group.
Valera is running for reelection. His daughter, Ma. Jocelyn “Joy” Valera-Bernos, is running for Congress, son Domino for Bangued councilor and daughter-in-law Janssen as Pidigan vice mayor.
Bayle and Balderas are farm helpers of former Maoay Barangay Captain Jovito Tadeo, a political supporter of the Bangued mayor.
Click here (VERA Files VOTE 2010) for the rest of the story.
Valera is running for reelection. His daughter, Ma. Jocelyn “Joy” Valera-Bernos, is running for Congress, son Domino for Bangued councilor and daughter-in-law Janssen as Pidigan vice mayor.
Good Lord! Does the Valera family think that Bangued is a family owned corporation?
This is how they ran “government” during the Medieval times but time voters come to grip with the times — they should put a stop to this inefficient and corrupt political practice.
Anna, that’s not unusual here in the Philippines. Convicted child rapist Romeo Jalosjos may be barred from running for public office but he has his kins -sons and in-laws- running for all available elective positions in Zamboanga del Norte.
The Dy family in Isabela also monopolized all the elective positions until Grace Padaca broke their stranglehold. I remember interviewing the old man, Faustino Dy Sr many years ago. He was having asthma attacks while talking to me. He was boasting that one of his sons was the governor, another one was mayor (?), another one was councilor, etc. etc.
In a normal situation, the father would be proud to say,”my eldest is a lawyer, the second one is a teacher, the other one is doctor, etc. etc.
In their case, they are enumerating the elected positions.They have made politics a family career!
The Arroyos are another prime example.
It’s a reflection of greed (of the politicians) and apathy (of the people) .It’s sad.
politically owned provinces are common in many provinces in the Phil..kaya mahigpit ang bakbakan sa mga political families..kaya maraming families ang sumasali sa politics kaya they hire goons to do the killings for them..hindi na “killing fields” but it is now killing families..look at what happened sa Maguindanao..ang mga matinong tao hindi na sumasali for public service…not that they are not qualified..wala silang panggastos at ayaw lang sumali sa mga maruming paraan para yumaman…hindi na bali walang pera wala namang dungis ang pangalan ng familia…I just
hope it will not happen in Antique but it seems to be going in that direction as well..malungkot..talking of Maquindanao..mukhang tahimik..at wala na tayong nababalitaan sa kaso..mabubura na! but life goes on at walang baki ang mga tao…tragic!
i am not from abra but i knew this province for some 30 years ago as researcher at u.p. it is not easy to be a citizen of abra and i am not sure if there is much money either in being a politician from there. at that time that province is probably the most undeveloped area in pinas.
Bangued, Abra is perpetually an election hotspot. From petty one-upmanship to cold-blooded murder, the politicos from my Lola’s province will not pass a chance.
Vicente Valera is still the main suspect in the murder of first cousin and arch-rival Chito Bersamin who was shot in Mt. Carmel Church in Quezon City while attending a wedding before Christmas in 2006. The arrested gunman confessed that he was offered P5M by Valera.
Speculations were ripe then that Chito, then the incumbent Congressman (and Valera’s next-door neighbor), was going to challenge Vicente for the governorship. Familiar story? Right, it’s the original version of the Ampatuan massacre though in a lesser degree. Both Bersamins and Valeras are our relatives, what a shame.
Bersamin’s brother Luis is Gloria’s appointee in the Supreme Court who recently figured prominently in allowing Gloria to appoint the next Chief Justice.
You are probably right, norphil. Abra in the past decades is comparable to, say Samar, as one of the most underdeveloped provinces being located in the mountainous region of the Cordilleras.
The means of livelihood of the people in the order of importance: Logging (legal an illegal), vegetable farming, Marijuana cultivation, tobacco farming.
Tongue: was Abra an election hotspot during the time of Senator Paredes? that was in the early 50’s..at baka related pa itong Paredes na sumusulat sa Malaya..
Rose, wasn’t even born at the time. All the political Paredes that I know are Ilocano. Pasay ex-Cong Jess Paredes is Ilocano, and the Baguio ex-solon Paredes is definitely Ilocano too. I don’t know about Ducky’s clan though. I’ve heard Jim speak Kapampangan, though his Kuya Ducky sure looks like Ilocano. Ditto their brother who owns RCPI. G.I. na G.I.!