MEYCAUAYAN CITY, Bulacan – A mayoralty candidate in the 2019 election died in an ambush Monday afternoon staged by two unidentified men on board a motorcycle in Barangay Banga here.
Lt. Col. Bernardo Pagaduan, Meycauayan police chief, identified the victim as Ryan Afable Cayanan, 45, a businessman and resident of the said barangay.
Based on initial investigation, one of the two suspects shot the victim around 12:30 p.m. as he was crossing the stretch of MacArthur Highway on board his motorcycle.
"Three bullet wounds from a caliber .40 gun hit various parts of the victim's body that resulted in his death," Pagaduan said.
After the attack, the two suspects fled to an unknown direction.
The victim was rushed to the Meycauayan Doctors Hospital but pronounced dead while being treated.
Authorities are still determining the motive for the shooting. According to initial investigation, the victim posted the following message on his Facebook page before the ambush:
"Lahat nang galaw ko may CCTV footage kayo, mga kababayan, kapag may nangyari po sa aking masama, alam nyo na po sino may gawa. Ang nais ko lamang po patas na pagbabago para sa Meycaueño, magiging masaya po akong mamatay para sa inyo (All my movements have CCTV footage. My province mates, if anything wrong happens to me, you know who did it. My only desire is change for Meycaueños. I will be happy to die for you)."
Cayanan ran for mayor of Meycauayan in 2019 but was defeated by incumbent Mayor Linabelle Villarica. (PNA)
