Halili, Bote killings not connected: DILG

July 4, 2018

There is no connection between the recent killing of a Batangas city mayor and a Nueva Ecija town mayor, according to the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).

"We cannot say that these two cases are related," said DILG OIC-Secretary Eduardo Año, referring to the murder of Tanauan City Mayor Antonio Halili and General Tinio Mayor Ferdinand Bote on two consecutive days this week.

Año says the Tuesday killing of Bote is different because unlike the slain Tanauan City mayor, Bote is not included in the so-called narco list.

"Based on initial information, Mayor Bote is not in the narco list," said he said. The narco list is a compilation of local politicians who are involved in illegal drugs.

Año said Bote became mayor in 2016 and he may be one of the local politicians in the running to become the next governor of Nueva Ecija.

"Let's not speculate on these cases and just await the results of the investigation. Basta kami, we will go where the evidence will bring us," he added.

On Tuesday afternoon, Tinio was gunned down by two or three gunmen on board a motorcycle after coming from the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) office in Cabanatuan City.  Meanwhile, Halili was shot dead by an unidentified gunman while attending the flag raising ceremony last Monday in front of city hall employees.

According to Año, President Rodrigo Duterte told him to pay preferential attention to the cases.

“Upon the instruction of the President, I am in close coordination with Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief, Director General Oscar Albayalde regarding these cases.  We need to put a stop to all these senseless killings that are undermining the government’s peace and order efforts,” he said. DMS