Chief Supt. Bienvenido Latag, police regional director in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, identified the slain mayoral aspirant as Guro Alim Ansar of Tugaya, Lanao del Sur.

Latag said Ansar and his four police escorts were on their way home to Tugaya after attending a congregational prayer celebrating the Eud’l Fitr or the fasting month in Marawi City when ambushed by heavily armed men at about 9 a.m.

His four escorts engaged the ambushers in a brief firefight but were also seriously wounded.

Initial investigation revealed that the ambush was politically motivated.

Recovered from scene of the crime were empty shells of M-16 Armalite rifle and rifle grenades.

Quoting reports from the Lanao del Sur police provincial office, Latag said the ambushers could also be wounded due to bloodstains found in the ambush site.

Ansar was one of the six mayoralty aspirants in Tugaya town where the elections last May was declared a failure due to violence and absence of members of the board of election inspectors.

Most of the teachers were related either by affinity or by blood to most of the candidates.

A province-wide manhunt is on going, police said.