12 arrested in Abra over firearms, vote-selling

Abra police arrested 12 individuals over the weekend in Barangay Laskig during an operation that confiscated several firearms and ammunition.

A lawyer attempting to intervene was also detained and may face obstruction of justice charges, while two more persons were arrested for alleged vote-selling in Bangued.

Col. Daniel Pel-ey, spokesperson for the Abra Provincial Police Office, stated that the arrests prevented potential disruptions to election day activities and found the incident alarming.

The operation began after a reported disturbance on Saturday evening when police encountered men arguing on the side of the road.

Among the seized items were two M16A1 rifles, eight loaded magazines with 224 rounds, and four .45 caliber pistols with additional ammunition.

Over 400 police officers have been deployed to Abra due to its history of election-related violence; however, an additional 200 personnel are on standby for heightened security measures.

The suspects are residents of various towns in Abra and Manila, while the detained lawyer is from Baguio City.