Suspect in Ecija mayor’s slay nabbed in CamSur
CAMP OLA, Legazpi City – A suspect in the killing of Mayor Ferdinand Bote of General Tinio, Nueva Ecija was arrested by the police at the Philippine National Police – Community Police Assistance Center (CPAC) checkpoint along Andaya National Highway in Barangay Cabasag, Del Gallego, Camarines Sur yesterday morning.
Meantime, the League of Municipalities – Nueva Ecija (LMP- NE) yesterday added another P1 million to the P1 million reward for anyone who can and will provide information that will lead to the arrest of the suspects in the killing of Mayor Bote.
Chief Supt. Arnel Escobal, director of the Bicol regional police, said Florencio Suarez was collared at around 9:30 a.m. along with a passenger, identified as Robert Gumacay.
“His vehicle (Toyota Avanza) was flagged down by our operatives there based on the early advice of police operatives who are investigating the case of Mayor Bote,” Escobal told the Manila Bulletin.
Escobal said it was the coordination between the police unit pursuing the case of Mayor Bote and the local police which led to the arrest of Suarez.
The official said they are yet to be informed by the special investigating team probing the assassination of Mayor Bote as to the participation of Suarez in the killing.
“He is in our custody and will be turned to the proper police unit investigating the case,” said Escobal.
As to Gumacay, Escobal said there is still no advice from the police investigating the case on whether or not he is one of the suspects.
Seized inside the vehicle was a .45 pistol which will be subjected to examinations to determine if it was used in the killing of Mayor Bote.
Earlier, national police chief Director General Oscar Albayalde said they already have a positive development on the killing of Mayor Bote.
He added that arrest may be made either this week or next week.
Albayalde also earlier said that three suspects are being pursued based on the review of all the CCTV footages.
Mayor Bote was shot dead while on board his vehicle which had just gone out of the compound of the local office of the National irrigation Administration.
He was gunned down a day after Tanauan City Mayor Antonio Halili was shot dead while attending a flag-raising ceremony.
The brazen killing of Bote and Halili, along with the vice mayor of Trece Martirez in Cavite, has prompted the national police leadership to initiate early election security measures and a crackdown on gunfor-hire syndicates.