BALBALAN, Kalinga – This fifth-class municipality might as well be considered the most peaceful town in the country, with no crime reported for the whole year in 2009.

Chief Supt. Orlando Pestano, director of the Police Regional Office in the Cordillera, cited the cooperation among local officials and the people of Balbalan to maintain peace and order in their respective communities as the reason for the town’s sterling record.

Balbalan is located in the boundary of the provinces of Kalinga and Abra. Communist New Peoples Army rebels operating in the area reportedly pass through the town regularly, but no encounter has occurred in the town thus far.

Local officials admitted there are no unique programs and projects being implemented in the town to maintain peace and order, but cited the people’s desire not to get involved in criminal activities.

Because of the outstanding accomplishment of the police and local officials in sustaining peace and order in the town, Pestano said the success of Balbalan should be replicated in other areas in the region.

He challenged the municipal government, the local police and the people of Balbalan to sustain its zero crime rate in the coming years so that their success will remain a model for other local government units nationwide.

While the town is the exit and entry point of NPA rebels going to other places in Kalinga and Abra, local officials said government forces and the rebels have never figured in firefights within the town, thus preserving its tranquility.

Nevertheless, they called on the military and the rebels alike to spare Balbalan from their conflicts in the days and years to come.