Cotabato City, Philippines - A vice mayor of a southern Philippine town was killed in an attack by unidentified gunmen, police said Tuesday.

Froilan Rufino, 50, vice mayor of President Quirino town in Sultan Kudarat province, 930 kilometres south of Manila, died of three gunshot wounds to the head.

Police Senior Superintendent Benhur Mongao said Rufino was inside his residential compound in Patiko village when two gunmen riding a motorcycle opened fire at him Monday evening.

"No one saw the suspects because it was dark at the victim's place," he said.

Mongao said investigators were still determining a motive for the killing, which happened while Rufino was alone at the house.

"It's too early for us to say if his death was politically motivated," he said. "But we are closely looking into personal grudge as a possible motive." (dpa)