MANILA, Philippines - A new study presented by the Political Democracy and Reform (PODER) Program at the Ateneo School of Government on Wednesday revealed the failure of local and national governments in preventing election killings in the province of Abra, where bloodshed has become so common that citizens accept it as part of the election process.

According to the study, Abra contributes to 16 percent of the nation’s election-related killings. In 2007, the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) declared the region a “hotspot” for election violence, although the PODER study reveals that political assassinations have been widespread in Abra since the 1960s.

Decades of conflict have fostered an apathetic community where violence is “socially acceptable”, according to Joy Aceron, the director of PODER. The study revealed that 75 percent of those surveyed were indifferent to the violence, and 44 percent regarded it as “normal.”

The study depicts the community as steeped in machismo and the padrino system, as well as a local government that has long been dominated by a handful of political families. Many of these families have strong ties to Malacañang, and, according to the study, “there seems to be a symbiotic relationship between the local power-holders of Abra and the powers-that-be at the national level.”

“[The study] has documented what every one of us already knew,” said Pura Sumangil of the Concerned Citizens of Abra for Good Governance. She also stressed that election violence must be addressed as a national issue, stating “there are many Abras across the country…We have read about Maguindanao.”

The findings of the study also highlighted that the national government is ill-equipped to prevent election-related violence. The study labeled many government institutions, such as the military, as “captured” by the interests of local politicians in Abra. Prosecution of political assassinations by the local judiciary has also been historically problematic, as many cases lack witnesses or a clear suspect.

The PODER study made several recommendations for stemming election violence, including more community involvement, economic development, and the disarmament of the region. According to PODER, the police have verified the existence of 3,000 illegal firearms in Abra.

“It is most critical that there is gradual disarmament,” said Aceron. “Without guns, goons will not be such a problem.”

Leila de Lima, chairperson of the Commission on Human Rights, said that community involvement is key to combating election violence in Abra. “People are simply not involved,” she said. “There has been no public outrage.”