CEBU — Authorities are probing the murder of a village chief and his wife in Asturias town, Cebu.

Local police identified the victims as Barangay Manguiao, Asturias captain Mario Tundag and his wife Edna.

Asturias Police Chief P/Maj. Alden Zambrano said the couple were riding a motorcycle Tuesday morning when they were waylaid and shot by yet unidentified motorcycle-riding gunmen.

The assassins had been tailing the victims from neighboring Balamban town until they were shot in the Asturias town proper.

Both victims were shot several times with a .45 caliber handgun, instantly killing them.

“We’re looking into politics as motive,” added Zambrano, noting that police were pursuing the gunmen in nearby towns. The shooting was caught on CCTV.

Zambrano also said they were studying if the perpetrators were in cahoots with the victim’s political opponents.

Meanwhile, Cebu 3rd District Rep. Pablo John Garcia urged authorities to speed up the investigation.

“This is a shocking incident not only because it happened in Asturias, a peaceful municipality in Cebu’s third district, but also because it was along the national highway in the center of town just outside where school children sat in their classrooms,” Garcia's statement read.

“The killers of Kap. Mario and his wife must be brought to justice because not only is he a public official, the couple now leaves behind six orphaned children," it further read.