The Abra Provincial Police Office (APPO) on Thursday said additional policemen have been deployed to the capital town of Bangued due to a brewing tension between mayoral candidates.

“We deployed troops to the area because of the tension between the group of Ryan Luna and Vice Mayor (Mila) Valera to avoid a clash that could lead to violence),” Col. Maly Cula, APPO director, said in a message sent to the media.

Luna, the former mayor of Bangued, and incumbent vice mayor Valera are both running for mayor of the capital town.

Valera is the wife of incumbent mayor Dominic Valera who is running for governor. They are parents of the incumbent governor of Abra, Maria Jocelyn Valera Bernos.

Cula assured that the government security forces are already in control of the situation.

Lawyer Rachel Belmes, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) officer of Mountain Province, said in a social media post Comelec Chairman Saidamen Pangarungan is in Bangued for a peace covenant signing and a meeting with officials of the provincial police office.

Pangarungan is accompanied by Comelec-Cordillera officials. (PNA)