Police looking into three motives on Bote’s death

July 5, 2018

Police are looking at three motives in the killing of a town mayor in Nueva Ecija on Tuesday, which are his family's quarrying business, government projects said linked to his company and local politics.

Chief Superintendent Amador Corpus, Central Luzon police director, said before Mayor Ferdinand Bote of General Tinio was killed, he went to the local offices of the National Irrigation Administration (NIA)  and Department of Public Works and Highways (DPHW) to check on certain government projects.

“Investigators are looking into quarry issues in General Tinio and some parts of Nueva Ecija,” he said in a news briefing in Camp Crame.

Corpus added they received information on “small issues” in the campaign for the association of barangay captains in General Tinio.

Corpus  ordered the creation of a special investigation task group to probe Bote's murder.

Bote was killed by three motorcycle-riding men while in his Toyota Fortuner in Cabantauan City Tuesday afternoon.

The local official's driver who survived the shooting rushed Bote to a hospital near the scene of the shooting.

At least 18 bullet casings from a.45 caliber pistol were recovered by probers at the scene, said Corpus.

Corpus said the two policemen who were Bote's security escorts did not accompany the local official.

Bote, according to Corpus, has been going into trips without his security. DMS