AGOO, La Union – Dr. Eufranio “Franny” Eriguel, former La Union 2nd Congressional District Representative, along with his two bodyguards were killed, while 8 others were wounded in an allegedly ambush incident by unidentified suspects on board two luxury vehicles at around 7:00 p.m. in Barangay Capas, this town Saturday during a “miting de avance” in connection with the Barangay and Sanggunian Kabataan elections here.
Chief Inspector Alfredo Padilla, Jr., Agoo police chief, told media that aside from Dr. Eriguel, who resides in Barangay Sta. Barbarra this town, his other two bodyguards identified as Mac ‘Bong’ Tuvera, a resident of San Marcos; and Bobby Ordinario, a resident of Macalva village, were declared dead-on-arrival at the La Union Medical Center here.
Eight other civilians also sustained injuries and are being treated at the same hospital.
Padilla said that during the campaign sorties of the candidates, two vehicles– a white Toyota Innova and a black Montero Mitsubishi — stopped infront of the barangay plaza where the meeting was being held, and several men wearing bonnets with firearms emerged from the cars and fired in the direction of Eriguel.
The bodyguards tried to shield Eriguel from the assailants, but were killed in the process
Several empty shells of baby armalite rifles were found at the crime scene.
The police have launched a manhunt operations for the possible arrest of the suspects. It was not known whether the assailants escaped with the use if tge luxury vehicles.
Eriguel’s wife Sandra, the incumbent congressional representative La Union’s second district, who was inside her car during the the attack, escaped unscouth, but bullets were lodged in the window sill and in some parts of vehicle.
In April 2016, the former lawmaker survived a bomb attack on his convoy that left several people injured.
Eriguel was then on board an SUV during the bomb blast. The van tailing the SUV was badly hit, leaving 4 passengers and a driver injured. Erwin Beleo/Nortbound Philippines News