MANILA (UPDATED) — Rizal, Cagayan Mayor Joel Ruma was shot dead by unidentified assailants during a campaign sortie on Wednesday night.

The attack happened in Barangay Illuru Sur at around 9 p.m.

Ruma was rushed to a hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival, police said. Three spectators were injured in the shooting and some of them might have been hit with stray bullets from Ruma's security, PNP Public Information Office Chief Col. Randulf Tuaño said. 

He said a sniper could have been involved in the attack. 

“Ang tama ng biktima ay nasa kanang balikat na nanggaling sa mataas na lugar and through and through pababa sa kanyang likuran,” Tuaño said. 

“Kino-consider ang suspect ay isang sniper sapagkat may nakuha din na isang basyo na caliber… May nakuha silang isang shell sa isang possible location kung saan nag-stay ang sniper,” he added. 

“Tinitingnan ang anggulo na night vision at iba pang ginamit,” he said

The Cagayan Valley police has formed a Special Investigating Task Group to focus on the case.

Some members of Ruma's security detail were coordinating with the task group for questioning and paraffin tests, Tuaño said.

PMaj. Sharon Mallillin, spokesperson of Police Regional Office 2, said investigators were verifying differing versions of the attack, with some witnesses saying Ruma was shot while having his picture taken while others saying it happened just as the campaign rally ended.

Police are also reviewing a video spreading online supposedly showing the shooting.

Pursuit operations were ongoing.

Ruma was running for his second term as mayor. He served as vice mayor from 2019 to 2022.

— With reports from PJ Cabanos and Harris Julio