Manila, April 2 -- The Regional Peace and Order Council (RPOC) in Cordillera has advised local government units (LGUs) to help address the spate of violence in the province of Abra by augmenting the gasoline allowance of the local police, which will allow them to heighten police visibility.

"Gas allowance is a challenge but it is needed to ensure the continued and enhanced police visibility in the different towns, not just in Abra," RPOC co-chair, Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong, said in a media interview on Wednesday.

This, even as the province received a new police chief in the person of Col. Froiland Lopez, who served as its chief of police during the barangay election.

The turnover came two days after the RPOC's special meetin...