BANGUED, Abra—Director Benjamin B. Magalong of the Directorate for Investigation of the Philippine National Police cited the active involvement of the youth sector in the province in the achievement of lasting peace.
“They were able to prove their crucial role,” he said.
Magalong, together with Maj. Gen. Angelito de Leon of the Philippine Army’s 7th Infantry Division, PRO-COR regional director Chief Superintendent Ulysses G. Abellera and provincial election supervisor May Rachel Belmes Beronilla, witnessed the signing of the peace covenant among political leaders, tribal leaders, religious, youth leaders and other stakeholders in order to renew their commitment for efforts in the attainment of lasting peace in Abra.
The PNP official admitted that during the preparations for the May 2013 mid-term elections, the youth was not a major factor in the peace initiative because we had difficulty in engaging them. Thus, the recent youth-driven covenant is considered a breakthrough in the peace process.
“We will not allow anyone to ruin the gains of our peace initiatives because we will use the full force against those who will try to continue compromising the lasting peace that we have initially achieved in the province,” Magalong stressed.
He pointed out that Abrenians must be proud that the peacekeeping interventions that they were able to put in place in the May 2013 mid-term elections is now being used as a template in the implementation of the appropriate peacekeeping initiatives in other conflict-stricken areas for the benefit of the present and future generations.
According to him, the police and military will not allow Abra to go back to its dark days. “We will continue engaging all sectors in order to elevate peacekeeping interventions and strategies to greater heights so that Abra will become one of the most developed localities in the country in the future.”