BINMALEY, Pangasinan - Two men were arrested Friday last week by the joint police and National Bureau of Investigation in connection with the attempt on the life of an assistant provincial prosecutor along the national highway in barangay Biec here.

The suspects were identified as Hadji Paras of barangay Bacayao Norte in Dagupan City, tagged as the triggerman and Ernesto Manaoat of Perez Market Site, also in Dagupan, who was identified as the driver of the motorcycle that trailed the victim, Assistant Provincial Prosecutor Magin Niño Orlino, 30, who was on board his scooter.

However, Paras was rushed to the Region I Medical Center after he was shot in the right foot and right side of his abdomen by one of the arresting officers whenhe was trying to reach for his gun, a Caliber 45 pistol.

This happened at 12 noon just in front of the Sabangan Elementary School in Bonuan Gueset, Dagupan City while he was being invited by a police and NBI team for a casual interrogation.

Police Supt. Rudolph Dimas, chief of police of Binmaley, said Manaoat was arrested two hours later near his home, just at the back of the Dagupan Police Station, and is now under the custody of the NBI.

Both suspects were positively identified by Prosecutor Orlino as the ones who shot him three times, hitting him in both shoulders and lower stomach. He is still recuperating from his wounds at the Dagupan Trauma Hospital.

Two witnesses, whose names are still being withheld, also came forward to identify Paras and Manaoat as the ones who shot and wounded Orlino.

The arrest of the two confirmed earlier suspicion of the police and NBI that the shooting of Orlino was work-related as he is handling several sensational cases involving persons linked with a guns-for-hire syndicate.

Most if not all of these cases were investigated and filed by the NBI.

Both Paras and Manaoat were identified as suspected guns-for-hire linked with several other suspects now under detention.

Shortly before he was shot and wounded, Prosecutor Orlino attended a court hearing in San Carlos City where he opposed a motion by a lawyer of Willy Mendoza, alias ‘Samal’ seeking his client’s transfer to the Pangasinan Provincial Jail in Lingayen from the San Carlos City District Jail.

Mendoza, tagged as leader of the guns-for-hire, was the  principal suspect in the gunslaying of a barangay captain of Malasiqui town in December 2003 just in front of the municipal building, after a flag ceremony.

Both Paras and Manaoat are now facing a case for frustrated murder while a separate case for illegal possession of firearms was filed against Paras. (PNA)