Mayor shot dead

INFANTA, Pangasinan, Philippines – The mayor here was shot dead by unidentified men on a motorcycle in front of his house yesterday afternoon. 

In a text message to The STAR, provincial administrator Raffy Baraan said Ruperto Martinez, a close ally of Gov. Amado Espino Jr., was gunned down with a caliber .45 pistol at around 3:30 p.m.  

Martinez suffered gunshot wounds in the neck and breast. 

The victim filed his certificate of candidacy for  vice mayor in next year’s elections with Vice Mayor Vir Vallarta, who is running for mayor, as his running mate.