Ex-La Union lawmaker killed in campaign rally
AGOO, La Union: Former La Union Second District representative Eufranio Eriguel and two of his bodyguards were gunned down at 7 p.m. on Saturday in a barangay (village) election gathering in the village of Capas here.
Chief Insp. Alfredo Padilla, Jr., Agoo police chief, said Eriguel was delivering a speech at a “miting de abanse” at the town plaza when two vehicles – a white Toyota Innova and black Montero Mitsubishi – arrived and the gunmen wearing bonnets opened fire hitting Eriguel, his two bodyguards and several others.
His bodyguards, identified as Bong Tubiera and Bobby Ordinario, tried to shield Eriguel from the assailants, but were also killed on the spot.
Investigators said that they found empty shells of M- 16 Armalite rifle in the crime scene.
His wife Sandra, incumbent representative of the 2nd district of La Union, survived the attack as she was inside her service vehicle when the shooting took place.
In April 2016, Eufranio Eriguel survived a bomb attack while he was on board an SUV. The van tailing the SUV was badly hit, leaving four passengers and a driver wounded.
In a previous interview, Eriguel said he would run for another term as representative of the 2nd district.
In 2010, Eriguel was elected to the House of Representatives as a candidate for the Nationalist People’s Coalition ( NPC), representing the 2nd District of La Union. During his term, he served as chair of the House Committee on Health and was among the members of the bicameral committee that passed the Graphic Health Warning bill.
He was a medical doctor and politician from the Eriguel political clan of La Union, who has served three terms as mayor of Agoo and two terms as representative for the Second District. He became mayor of Agoo in July 1998 until June 2007.
Through his leadership, Agoo reaped regional and national awards: Hall of Fame Awardee as the Cleanest, Safest and Greenest Municipality – 1st to 3rd Class Municipality Category ( Gawad Pangulo sa Kapaligiran) Regional and National Level, Best LGU ( 1st – 3rd Class Municipality Category) in Literacy Promotion ( 2- time National and Regional Champion), and other numerous local awards in different fields of local governance.