In a recent security briefing held by the Cordillera Regional Joint Security Control Center, led by the Commission on Election-Cordillera, three municipalities in Abra have been categorized as high-risk areas for the upcoming May 2025 mid-term elections. The meeting, which took place on January 28, 2025, in Baguio City, highlighted Bucay, Bangued, and Pilar as areas under the ‘orange’ category due to their history of election-related violence and current political tensions. Col. Damian Olsim, from the Police Regional Office Cordillera Administrative Region, pointed out these municipalities during the session at the Commission on Elections (Comelec)-CAR office. Previously, only Bucay was listed under this severe threat level as of the last meeting in December. Other areas in Abra and Kalinga, such as Lagayan, Pidigan, Tayum, Tineg, Dolores, Langangilang, and Lubuagan, fall into the ‘yellow’ category, indicating a history of election-related incidents, with Lubuagan’s issues stemming from tribal conflicts. Meanwhile, Penarrubia in Abra has been downgraded to the ‘green’ category, signifying no current election-related security concerns. Atty. Julius Torres, director of Comelec-CAR, emphasized the goal of maintaining a peaceful and orderly election, with ongoing monitoring of the situation in non-‘green’ areas. Brig. Gen. David Peredo, head of PROCAR, noted that out of the 67 towns and cities in the region, three are under ‘orange’, seven under ‘yellow’, and the rest under ‘green’. Additional personnel have been deployed since December to ensure a smooth election process in Abra, despite its history of electoral violence.
