Calls mount for authorities to intensify probe into slay of Nueva Ecija town mayor

MANILA, Philippines — Government officials denounced the murder of General Tinio, Nueva Ecija Mayor Ferdinand Bote and urged the Philippine National Police to act immediately.

Bote was gunned down by unidentified motorcycle-riding assailants while traversing Cabanatuan City Tuesday afternoon, a day after the killing of Tanauan City, Batangas Mayor Antonio Halili.

In a statement, Vice President Leni Robredo called on authorities to put an end to the recent spate of killings involving government officials, priests and loiterers.

“I call on the authorities, especially the police, to intensify investigations into these crimes and establish urgent steps to stop the continued killings,” Robredo said in Filipino Wednesday.

She also stressed there is a need for Filipinos to have “united voice” to combat the “culture of violence and killings.”

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Sen. Francis Pangilinan, who described Bote as a “humble, hardworking and upright” public servant, said his death demonstrates the “breakdown of law and order in our country.”

“This administration ran on a strong anti-crime platform, but two years after, what we see instead is widespread criminality, lawlessness and corruption,” Pangilinan said.

Sen. Joel Villanueva, for his part, said that “perpetrators must be immediately held liable and justice must be served.”

PNP spokesperson Senior Supt. Benigno Durana Jr. cautioned against insinuations that the killings of Halili and Bote are connected but assured that justice would be served to both.

“It was not established if they are related incidents. Geographically speaking, Batangas and Nueva Ecija are far from each other,” he said.

In an interview on ABS-CBN’s Umagang Kay Ganda Wednesday, Central Luzon police director Chief Supt. Amador Valera Corpus said the possible motives in the killing of Bote include the local executive’s quarrying business, projects allegedly connected to his separate construction business and political issues in the province.