Police see 3 possible motives behind slay of Mayor Bote

MANILA, Philippines — Police investigators are looking at three angles in the killing of General Tinio, Nueva Ecija Mayor Ferdinand Bote.

Chief Superintendent  Amador Corpus, regional police director for Central Luzon, said Wednesday that the possible motives in the murder of Bote are issues with quarrying in the town and some parts of the province, the family’s other business ventures, and local politics.

Bote was gunned down by unidentified motorcycle-riding assailants just after leaving the National Irrigation Administration office in Cabanatuan City on Tuesday, a day after the killing of Tanauan City, Batangas Mayor Antonio Halili.

He was not included in the list of government officials with suspected links to the illegal drug trade.

The local executive was rushed to the nearby MV Gallego Cabanatuan General Hospital but Bote was pronounced dead on arrival.

Corpus said investigators are not discounting the angle of politics because Bote was in his first term as mayor of General Tinio. Bote was previously the town's vice mayor.

He added that there might be three suspects in the killing of the town mayor.

“Based on the recovered CCTV footages, we saw three suspects withdrawing from the crime scene on board a motorcycle,” Corpus said.

The police recovered 18 bullet slugs from the crime scene, Central Luzon’s top cop also said.

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