Politics eyed in the killing of a barangay captain in Asturias, Cebu

Cebu (CNN Philippines, March 14) — A barangay captain and his wife were shot dead on Tuesday by motorcycle-riding assailants along the national highway in Asturias, Cebu, police said.

Manguiao barangay captain Mario Delfin Tundag and his wife Edna were onboard a motorcycle when two persons on another motorcycle shot them.

Police said the still unidentified perpetrators may have been trailing the Tundag couple and got the chance to fire at them in Barangay Poblacion.

In his report, Asturias police chief PMaj Alden Zambrano said that the Tundag couple came from the neighboring town of Balamban and were on their way home to Manguiao which is about 10 kilometers away.

Zambrano told reporters the shooting could have been political in nature though they are looking at other possible angles.

Investigators are now trying to identify the political opponents of Tundag.

CCTV footage secured by the police showed that the assailants were wearing black helmets and white long sleeved shirts. The backrider was the one that took out a gun and fired several shots at the couple.

After seeing the couple drop to the ground, the attackers took a U-turn back to Balamban town.

A hot pursuit operation was launched by the police following the incident.