The Philippine National Police (PNP) has reactivated the Task Force Abra for the 2025 midterm elections, Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman George Erwin Garcia said on Friday.

Last month, the PNP also activated a special task force in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) to ensure peaceful and orderly polls in May.

“Kagaya ng sinabi ng chief PNP, nagcreate sila ng Task Force Abra, nirevive nila ang TF Abra, nirevive din nila ang TF BARMM. Ibig sabihin, may special na grupo ng PNP at, syempre, kasama ang AFP [Armed Forces of the Philippines] contingent, na nakatutok sa mga lugar na iyan sapagkat nakikita nga nila yung pagtaas ng shooting incidents diyan sa mga area na iyan,” Garcia told reporters in a press briefing at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City.

“Dahil diyan, kinakailangan na mayroong isang grupo na namamahala ng lugar para mabilis ang responde,” he added. “Yung ganitong klase ng mga preparasyon ay highly appreciated ng Comelec.”

“Dati pa kasi iyon, noong barangay at 2022 elections, meron tayong TF Abra at TF BARMM na PNP contingent sa area. Hindi lang election ang kanilang inaasikaso kundi ang common day-to-day problem of peace and order, yun ang inaasikaso ng PNP,” Garcia added.

Task Force Abra will focus on preventing any outbreak of violence in the province ahead of the polls.

“Ang kagandahan ng may TF, nakatutok lang sila sa election. Wala silang iba munang gagawin; election lang. Sisiguruhin nila na yung lugar ay maayos, tahimik at walang violence,” the Comelec chairman explained.

“Dahil sa mataas na shooting incidents, maaaring wala namang namamatay, kinakailangang irevive na ang TF so that any time may problema, nandiyan sila, hindi lang ang regular nating mga tauhan doon,” he continued.

The task force will work with the Comelec, the AFP, and the Philippine Coast Guard to secure the elections in Abra.

“Meron siyang organization, mula sa TF pababa hanggang sa bawat munisipyo. Ibig sabihin, it’s not just a mere TF of several individuals. It’s an organization by itself. Ang monitoring and action anndun hanggang sa baba,” Garcia noted. “Therefore, asahan natin na sa isang bayan, may nakaassign doon na directly reporting sa head ng TF.”

Election-related violent incidents (ERVIs) have occurred in several areas in Abra since the election period began in January. 

On Monday, April 7, a barangay chairperson and a municipal councilor died in a shooting incident in Lagangilang town. 

Garcia believes that the incident is election-related.