BAGUIO CITY (July 21, 2021) – The hunt is on against the leader of a gun-for-hire group composed of rogue policemen and military scalawags tagged in the plot to kill La Union lawmaker Sandra Eriguel and two other political leaders in that province.

The Ilocos region police since last week was ordered to ‘get the head’ of the “Magpali gun-for-hire group”, reportedly already paid P2 million as down payment for the “kill-contract” on the lady lawmaker, a town mayor and a town vice mayor.

Police units in Ilocos region as well as Cordillera and Cagayan Valley regions have also been called in to help in the hunt, that when successful could lead authorities to the mastermind.

Rep. Eriguel had earlier appealed to President Rodrigo Duterte to probe the involvement of rogue military and police personnel in a gun-for-hire group which she suspected were “engaged” by some politicians to harass or worst, to liquidate their political rivals ahead of the 2022 elections.

Catching the leader- dismissed police Colonel Wilson Magpali, unimpeacheable sources claimed, would lead authorities into the bottom of stemming the political killings in La Union wayback in 2018, the lady lawmaker believed.

The slay plot was earlier uncovered by the La Union police following the arrest of four members –an active Marines, an AWOL policeman, Magpali’s brother, and another—in San Juan, La Union last June 23, 2021.

Rep. Eriguel in her appeal urged, “Sana po ay matuldukan na itong mga karahasan na hindi po kanais-nais. Nakakatakot po ngayon, na parang bagong Abra po itong La Union. Sana po ay hindi mangyari ang ganon. Nananawagan po kami kay Pangulong Rodrigo Roa Duterte, kay PNP Chief Gen. Eleazar at sa NBI (National Bureau of Investigation) para gumawa ng parallel investigation po dito.”

Eriguel’s husband, former Rep. Eufranio, a physician by profession, was slain in 2018; Balaoan town Vice Mayor Alfred Concepcion on November 14 and Sudipen Mayor Alexander Buquing on October 1 of that same year.