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AFP pours more troops into tumultuous Abra


The military has ordered the deployment of hundreds of soldiers to the province of Abra where a number of election-related violent incidents have been recorded in the past days, a military spokesman said Friday. AFP public information office chief Lt col. Bartolome Bacarro said the 53rd Division Reconnaissance Company had been pulled out of the province of Sulu to beef up the existing number of government forces in the province. The company was sent to Sulu in August to help pursue leaders of the terrorist groups Abu Sayyaf and Jema’ah Islamiyah. Officials have said the operations in Sulu would now be focused on civil military operation works. “Additionally, two other companies from the 51st IB (Infantry Battalion) were deployed to Abra," said Bacarro without saying where two companies were formerly based. A company is composed of at least 120 men. “[The] deployment is in response to developments in the area," said Bacarro, apparently referring to poll-related incidents in the province, the recent of which was shooting and wounding of the wife of the mayor of Tineg town, Edwin Crisologo. Reports had it that the couple was monitoring the canvassing of votes in Bangued town last Thursday when they were attacked by a lone gun man who was killed by responding policemen after resisting arrest. On Wednesday, seven government troops, including an officer, were killed and three others were injured when they were attacked by New People’s Army rebels while securing the transportation of ballots in Moliney town. Officials said the rebels were out to snatch the ballot boxes on the consent of an unidentified candidate who reportedly paid the rebels huge amount of cash in permit-to-win fee. The rebels fled empty handed. - GMANews.TV

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