By Ariel Avendaño
GEN. TINIO, Nueva Ecija - The family of slain Mayor Ferdinand Bote has appealed to President Rodrigo Duterte to bring justice to the fallen local executive.
(Danilo Bote Fajardo via Facebook / MANILA BULLETIN)
Dino Bote, youngest son the murdered mayor pointed out that "hindi kami papayag na hindi managot ang nasa likod ng pamamaslang sa aking ama".
Former mayor Virgilio Bote, a relative of the slain municipal mayor, hinted that "alam na namin kung sino ang pumatay kay Mayor Ferdie, at kilala na rin maging ng aming mga kababayan as he even offered to "whisper" the identity of the suspect to this correspondent but later backed out.
The former mayor hinted that he was planning to run as governor in the 2019 midterm elections to avoid political confrontation with the slain incumbent mayor "but now that Mayor Ferdie has gone baka tatakbo na lang akong mayor para maipagpatuloy ang magagandang programa at proyekto ng administrasyon niya", the former mayor said.
The former mayor is the current PDP-LABAN chairman in Nueva Ecija, the political party of President Duterte.
"We have also sought the help of Special Assistant to the President Christopher "Bong" Go for the immediate arrest of the suspect.
Ruling out of any business interest as the motive in the killing of Bote, the former mayor disclosed that the.murder incident is purely politically-motivated.
"Titiyakin po namin na makukulong siya", hinting that he really knew who masterminded the assassination.
Bote was gunned down by still unidentified suspects last July 3 just after leaving the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) office in Cabanatuan City.