AGOO, La Union—The widow of slain former La Union 2nd District Rep. Eufranio ‘Franny’ Eriguel is seeking the assistance of President Rodrigo Duterte for the timely resolution of the murder of the two-term lawmaker, shot dead while delivering a speech in front of a crowd in Barangay Capas here on Saturday night.
Incumbent 2nd District Rep. Zandra Y. Eriguel also requested the Chief Executive to bring back security detail because they already feared for their safety after the shooting to death of her husband right in front of a crowd that gathered for the final salvo of meetings in preparation for the May 14 synchronized barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections.
“We feel vulnerable at this time because of what happened. We want to ensure that the members of our family will be spared from whatever evil motives of the mastermind and the gunmen that is why we appeal to President Duterte to help us in our present predicament,” Eriguel stressed.
Lawyer Cherry Untalan, Rep. Eriguel’s chief of staff, revealed the security details of the lawmaker were allegedly pulled out several days before the murder of her husband, reason they did not have any available security detail at the time of the incident.
According to her, the supposed mastermind, who is a former barangay official of Capas, could not be considered as the one behind the incident because he was not the gunman.
That is why there is a need for the intervention of higher authorities for probers to be able to zero in the real motive and the people behind the said election-related violence, the bereaved kin said.
Aside from politics, probers are allegedly looking into various angles of the case ranging from the late Eriguel’s acquaintances among others that could result in the immediate resolution of the high-profile political case in the province.
Untalan explained the deployment of police and military troops in the town would just be temporary because they would eventually be pulled out once the situation stabilized.
Police authorities revealed that one of the persons of interest in the said case, a certain Felizardo Villanueva, a losing candidate for barangay captain in Capas, was now detained in the Agoo District jail.
The former lawmaker was delivering a speech in front of a huge crowd in Capas when he was fired upon by still unidentified gunmen that caused his instantaneous death and the untimely demise of two of his alleged bodyguards.
Untalan claimed Rep. Eriguel was able to bring the plight of her family to Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque a few days ago and she remained optimistic Malacañang would come out with a concrete action.