A 43-year-old Board Member aspirant and executive assistant of outgoing Congressman Pantaleon Alvarez was shot by an unidentified suspect Tuesday night.
The incident was reported to police around 11 p.m. in Delfina Village, Barangay Magugpo, Tagum City.
Tagum City Police Chief Col. Wildemar Tiu said an investigation is ongoing to determine the motive behind the attack.
The victim, Audrie Perez, a candidate for Board Member in the First District of Davao del Norte, was on his way home when he was shot by the assailant.
He was riding his motorcycle and had just passed the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Chapel in Delfina Village when the gunman fired multiple shots.
The suspect, wearing a denim jacket and a cap, fled the scene on a motorcycle.
Perez fell from his motorcycle and was rushed to Tagum Doctors Hospital for treatment. He sustained multiple gunshot wounds and remains under medical care.
Meanwhile, Panabo Representative and gubernatorial candidate Alan Dujali condemned the attack and called on the Tagum City Police to swiftly resolve the case.
In a statement issued Wednesday, he also urged fellow candidates to maintain fair and honest elections and remain vigilant to prevent further political violence.
“Politicians running for public office must help maintain peace and order, especially as tensions rise ahead of election day,” Dujali said.
He also warned the public against falling for opportunist candidates who offer empty promises during the campaign.
Dujali is part of the slate of De Carlo Oyo Uy, the Lakas-CMD candidate for Congress. Perez, meanwhile, is running under Alvarez’s Partido Reporma.
Editor’s Note: Corrections were made on the last paragraph to reflect accurate information on the registered parties of political candidates Alan Dujali and Audrie Perez.