CAMP FLORENDO, San Fernando, La Union — A candidate for councilor of the Lakas-Kampi-CMD in Sta. Maria, Ilocos Sur was gunned down Wednesday in broad daylight by unidentified suspects riding in tandem on a motorcycle.

In Pangasinan, an election assistant officer was shot and wounded in San Alejandro town.

Chief Superintendent Constante Azares Jr., Ilocos Region police director, identified the victim as Artemio Tugade, former chairman of Barangay Cabaraoan in Sta. Maria and who was running for Sangguniang Bayan member (councilor) under the administration party.

Senior Supt. Eduardo Dopale, Ilocos Sur police director, reported to Azares that Tugade, 56, was in Barangay Poblacion Norte at around 11:30 a.m. driving his blue Honda XRM motorcycle when the suspects, riding on a yellow motorcycle, also a Honda XRM, shot him several times in the head. He died on the spot.

The suspects are now the subject of a police manhunt.

Investigators found four spent shells of caliber .45 pistol at the crime scene.

Police are still looking into possible motives of the killing.

Azares has created Task Group “Tugade” to conduct an in-depth investigation of the incident.

Three teams of the 1st Regional Public Safety Management Battalion under Senior Supt. Alejandro Valerio Jr., were dispatched to the area to assist the local police in the operations.

In the Pangasinan attack, Juanito Villalba, 60, the election assistant officer of Sta. Maria town, was shot by two suspects riding tandem on a red Hondas TMX 155 motorcycle at around 5 p.m. Wednesday while on his way home aboard his motorcycle.