CURRIMAO, Ilocos Norte — Rey Ruiz, board president of the Ilocos Norte Electric Cooperative (INEC), was assassinated by motorcycle-riding men at about 9:30 a.m. Friday in Barangay Lang-ayan, this town, cooperative officials said.

INEC Director John Que, an eyewitness in the assassination, said he and Ruiz, together with another INEC director, Rey Lazo, had just arrived aboard a Hi-Ace van in front of the Lang-ayan INEC sub-office here when the gunmen, armed with caliber .45 pistols, repeatedly shot Ruiz at close range.

“Mag-aattend sana kami ng board meeting dito sa sub-office. Habang bumababa na siya sa van nang lumapit ang mga naka-motorsiklong salarin at pinagbabaril ang aming presidente,” Que told reporters.

Ruiz, in his 60s, married, native of Dingras, Ilocos Norte, and father of Manila Bulletin reporter JC Bello Ruiz, suffered two bullet wounds in the chest. He was taken to the Mariano Marcos Memorial Hospital in Batac City where he died a few hours later.

Currimao police investigators said Ruiz’s security escort was able to fire back and kill one of the assassins as they fled from the scene.

The wounded assassin, who was not immediately identified, was taken to the Batac hospital where he also expired due to bullet wounds in the body. Investigators said the slain suspect was the driver of the motorcycle.

It was reported that the triggerman was also wounded. He allegedly escaped with the help of another man who was driving another motorcycle.

The three men were believed to be members of a gun-for-hire group.

Police probers said Ruiz had received death threats through cellphone in the past few months. They were looking into various angles in the killing.