BANTAY, Ilocos Sur — A town councilor was shot and killed in broad daylight by unidentified
gunmen along the national highway in front of the Bantay West Central School, Zone 6, here at noon Thursday.

The victim, who was in his car, was fetching his wife from an elementary school when the suspects, who were reportedly riding tandem on a motorcycle, came from behind and and opened fire at him.

The police said the gunman who shot and killed Councilor Paul Lucero, 41, used a caliber .45
pistol as evidenced by eight empty shells found at the crime scene.

Senior Superintendent George T. Regis, Ilocos Sur police director, said Lucero is a third termer
councilor of Bantay town and a resident of Zone VI, Bantay, Ilocos Sur.

The shooting incident happened at about 12:45 noon when the victim was aboard his car and was fetching his his wife, Emma, 40, from the Bantay West Central School, Zone VI.

Investigation showed that the assassins, riding on an XRM motorcycle, emerged from behind the victim’s car and then fired successive shots.

After the shooting, the suspects fled immediately to a still unknown direction.

The victim’s wife, was unhurt. After the gunfires, she ran towards their car and saw her husband bathed in a pool of his own blood.

Mrs. Lucero rushed her husband to nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Investigators who rushed to the crime scene recovered eight empty shells of caliber .45 pistol.

Regis said that the motive of the incident is still unknown.

“We are considering different angles as possible motives of the incident. These include business,
politics and personal angles,” he said.

The police believed the suspects to be possibly guns-for-hire. (PNA)