A barangay captain was shot dead while another man was seriously injured after being shot by unidentified armed men riding in tandem at Barangay Kabulihan, General Mamerto Natividad, Nueva Ecija on Tuesday.

40-year-old Barangay Kabulihan chairman Arthur Bautista and 56-year-old farmer Conrado Villena were shot by unknown assailants in the said area.

The two were rushed to the Premier General Hospital, but attending physicians declared Bautista dead on arrival, while Villena is currently in stable condition.

The General Mamerto Natividad Municipal Police Station reported that the shooting incident happened at around 8 a.m. and was immediately reported a few minutes after the incident. The two victims incurred bullet wounds in various parts of their bodies.

The authorities immediately responded and conducted a dragnet operation to determine the location of the suspects, but the suspects evaded the authorities in the direction of Cabanatuan City.

The police are currently investigating the matter.