By Mar Gabriel
Eagle News Service
The Philippine National Police has identified the alleged mastermind in the killing of General Tinio, Nueva Ecija Mayor Ferdinand Bote.
In a press conference, Chief Supt. Amador Corpus, director of PNP Region 3, said it was one Christian Saquilabon, a “contractor,” who ordered Florencio Suarez and Robert Gumatay to do the hit on Bote for P25,000, based on Suarez’s and Gumatay’s statements.
Suarez and Gumatay were earlier arrested in a checkpoint in Camarines Sur.
Arnold Gamboa, who allegedly drove the getaway vehicle of the suspects and who earlier surrendered to police, also pointed at Saquilabon as the mastermind, the police said.
Based on the suspects, Saquilabon and Bote fought after the contractor won the bidding for a P96-million tourism convergence project of the Department of Public Works and Highways.
The project allegedly involved the Minalungao Park in General Tinio.
“Yes, [it was] based on their confession. Lahat po sila, supported by Arnold, tinuturo si Christian na siya nag-insist na ‘yun nga ‘yung problema niya sa mayor… ang exact word, ‘sobra nang nanggigipit’,” Corpus said.
Police Director Roel Obusan, chief of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, said the case against the suspects–who number around eight, including one Jun Fajardo who allegedly served as spotter and two John Does—was “airtight.”
He said apart from the judicial confession, there was “physical evidence”: the gun recovered from Suarez and Gumatay matched the bullet used to kill Bote, for instance.
He said the vehicle used by the suspects as seen in footage from closed-circuit television camera also matched the vehicle registered to one of the suspects.
PNP Chief Oscar Albayalde said a hold departure order has been filed against Saquilabon.