Eriguel: PNP pulled out security detail before hubby’s killing

APPEAL With the portrait of slain former La Union Rep. Eufranio Eriguel in the background, his widow, incumbent Rep. Sandra Eriguel, appeals to authorities to hasten the investigation of her husband’s murder. With the lawmaker is Senior Supt. Reynaldo Tamondong of the Ilocos regional police. FILE PHOTO

La Union 2nd Dist. Rep. Sandra Eriguel has urged her colleagues in the House of Representatives to “look into the actions of the Philippine National Police days before the brutal and cowardly murder” of her husband, former Rep. Eufranio Eriguel.

In a privilege speech late Monday, Sandra said that had local police officials acted on their request for police assistance, “the shooting incident could have been prevented and my husband would be alive today.”

Sandra revealed that hours before Eriguel was gunned down while giving a speech on May 12, the couple had pleaded with Police Senior Supt. Genaro Sapiera not to pull out “all of our security detail.”

However, Sapiera, then the provincial director of La Union Provincial Police Office, said he was following orders from Police Chief Supt. Romulo Sapitula, the regional director of PNP Regional Office 1.

Sandra added that the barangay chairman of Capas in Agoo municipality wrote a May 7 letter to then-Agoo police chief Police Chief Insp. Alfredo Padilla Jr. to seek police assistance during the general assembly of barangay election candidates that Eriguel was set to attend.

However, Padilla allegedly did not act on the said request.

“Without our police security detail, each one of us was left vulnerable to any attack. But Congressman Franny never wavered in his resolve to be with and fight for the people,” Sandra said.

Sandra said the House could prevent such murders from being committed again.

“Sowing fear upon the people through intimidation and violence should never be the basis for voting our leaders, but rather, to vote freely and based on personal preference should be the basis for voting our leaders. Truly, violence has no place in any civilized society,” Sandra said.

“We also owe it to the people, most especially to the peace-loving people of La Union, to pass relevant laws that can stop this culture of violence. We must not let fear envelope our people and our nation. This must end here,” she added.