BANGUED, Abra — More or less four influential politicians in this conflict-stricken province still maintain private armed escorts, with some of them having pending criminal records which could probably imperil government initiatives for a clean, honest, orderly, and peaceful May, 2010 elections.

The identities of the four politicians were temporarily withheld so the ongoing validation processes being undertaken by police and military agents will not be jeopardized.

Chief Superintendent Orlando Pestano, regional director of the Police Regional Office (PRO) in the Cordillera, said police and military authorities have decided to give special concern to Abra during the election period to thwart any bid to terrorize voters.

Out of the less than 20 private armed group (PAG) members in this conflict-stricken province, intelligence reports showed 10 of them have pending and previous criminal cases ranging from murder to attempted murder and illegal possession of firearms.

At present, elements of the Abra Provincial Police Office are still on the process of validating the firearms being kept by some of the private armed group members.

One of the four politicians has been previously criticized and charged by his constituents for his continued presence in this capital town rather than serving his constituents in a remote municipality.

During the May, 2007 local elections, the Philippine National Police (PNP) reported the existence and operation of at least 10 PAGs with at least 127 members but the same have been reportedly disbanded after the series of arrests by law enforcers the past two years.

Abra is one of the 15 provinces nationwide which have been initially included under the watchlist of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) because of previous records of intensed political rivalry among conflicting politicians and the presence of numerous unlicensed firearms used by influential politicians and their private armies.

While some politicians signed a manifesto to support clean, honest, orderly and peaceful elections, Pestano underscored the need to make sure the situation will be under the full control of the police and military to prevent politicians from imposing their will.