Asenso requests Comelec control over Abra due to election violence

A local political party in Abra, Asenso, has requested the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to take control of the entire province due to a series of killings and harassment targeting its members since August 2024.

Suspended Vice Governor Maria Jocelyn 'Joy' Valera-Bernos, president of the Asenso Abreño Party alongside her father, Governor Dominic Valera, cited at least 18 violent incidents including ambushes, shootings, and abductions involving party candidates and supporters since January 12.

Valera-Bernos claims that her suspension by the national government in 2024 was politically motivated, stating she acted in good faith during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The rival political group Team Progreso, led by Jose 'JB' Bernos who is running for Congress against Mila Bernos (Joy's mother), has been implicated in election-related violence.

Comelec control would allow the poll body to oversee local law enforcement and security forces in areas with high-risk election seasons, deploying additional personnel and establishing monitoring systems to prevent electoral fraud or violence.