Political leader switches allegiance from Dumpit to Ortega; shot dead

NAGUILIAN, La Union – A local political leader was gunned down Wednesday while driving his tricycle in Sitio Bessange, Liwac Norte, here.

Police identified the fatality as Rolando Laigo, 34, married, a tricycle driver and known political coordinator during elections for the Dumpit family in his village in Casilangan, here.

Investigators said Laigo, who is a tricycle driver, was ferrying a passenger to Sitio Bessange when two hitmen riding-in-tandem on a motorcycle cut his path and opened fire.

Laigo sustained several gunshot wounds in the head and body and had lost a great amount of blood before being taken to a nearby hospital where he was declared dead on arrival.

Police operatives retrieved slugs and spent shells of a .45 pistol at the crime scene.

Probers stopped short of naming any suspects but followed the angle that the killing of Laigo was politically-motivated.

They cited statements from people close to Laigo that while he was a known political coordinator of La Union 2nd District Representative Thomas Dumpit in the last elections, he is now allied with local candidates fielded by La Union Gov. Manuel Ortega.

Civil society groups in this town were quick to denounce the killing of Laigo, urging authorities to solve the crime and prevent any further political violence this election season.