MANILA. Alioden Dalaig, chief legal officer of Commission on Elections, was shot dead on a Manila intersection last night.

Comelec spokesman James Jimenez said Dalaig was declared dead on arrival at the Ospital ng Maynila where he was rushed after the shooting at the corner of Pedro Gil and M.H. del Pilar Streets in Ermita.

Police immediately ruled out robbery as his cell phone and some P300,000 were found intact in his pocket. Unconfirmed reports said he had just come from a casino.

SPO4 Alfredo dela Rosa, homicide investigator, said Dalaig died from a single .45-caliber bullet fired into his chest by a gunman who immediately fled the scene.

Dalaig's wife, Filomena, told reporters at the hospital that her husband had been receiving death threats lately.

Dalaig, 64, was well-loved and well-liked by his colleagues, Jimenez said. He was due for retirement, having been with the Comelec for 30 years.