CABANATUAN CITY, Nueva Ecija — A special investigation task group (SITG) was created Wednesday to pursue the investigation on the killing of Gen. Tinio town mayor Ferdinand Bote.
Chief Superintendent Amador Corpus, Central Luzon police director, said the “SITG Ferdie Bote” will look into all angles of the crime, including business and politics.
Corpus said Bote was not included in the list of alleged narcotics-linked government officials.
“Initial report, for verification, he was not included in the narco list. There is no background that implicated him in illegal drugs,” he said.
Corpus said the gunmen apparently tailed Bote even before he entered the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) compound based on the position of the attackers.
CCTV footage showed the victim’s vehicle, an SUV driven by a friend, has just exited the compound when fired at by the suspects on the passenger side.
Forensic investigators recovered 18 spent shells from a caliber 45 pistol from the crime scene.
Corpus also said they are looking into why Bote had no police escort when the attack happened while he was issued security personnel.
He could not say how many police escorts the slain mayor had.
Meanwhile, Peñaranda town Mayor Ferdinand Abesamis, president of the League of Mayors of the Philippines – Nueva Ecija Chapter (LMP-NE), condemned the brutal killing in the strongest terms.
“(The LMP) appeals to the law enforcement authorities to conduct a thorough investigation on the murder of Mayor Bote and bring forth to justice the perpetrators thereof,” Abesamis said.
Governor Czarina Umali likewise condemned in the strongest possible terms the town chief executive’s killing. She instructed the police to thoroughly investigate the case for its swift resolution.
Umali said the provincial government of Nueva Ecija will give a reward to anyone who can provide information that would lead to the immediate resolution of the killing.
“We mourn the untimely death of Mayor Bote. He was a leader well-loved by his people. He was a man of action and compassion. His first term in office had put General Tinio on the map not only for tourism but for the unparalleled development of the municipality,” she said. (Marilyn Galang/PNA)
