Mayor’s widow seeks justice by running for town’s top post

Mayvelyn Bote is running for mayor in General Tinio, a post held by her husband Ferdinand Bote when he was assassinated in Cabanatuan City on July 3, 2018. (Photo from the Facebook account of Mayvelyn Bote)

GENERAL TINIO, Nueva Ecija, Philippines — Whatever the results of May 13 elections, the widow of slain General Tinio Mayor Ferdinand Bote said her candidacy and her vote are aimed at getting justice for her husband’s murder.

Mayvelyn Bote, who is running for mayor of this town, said she would cast her vote with relief because state prosecutors had already filed a murder case against an influential contractor and seven other people suspected of killing her husband.

Lawyer Paul Michael Cuñano, counsel of the Bote family, said the case was raffled off to the sala of Judge Anna Marie Joson-Viterbo of the Cabanatuan City Regional Trial Court.

Cuñano said if the judge should find merit in the case she would an arrest warrant on the respondents, including alleged mastermind Christian Saquilabon who had denied the accusation.

Also indicted were Florencio Ramos, Robertlyn Gumatay, Arnold Gaboa, Junjun Fajardo, and three other unidentified persons.

The resolution, which was signed by a panel of three assistant prosecutors in San Fernando, Pampanga, was dated April 30, 2019. But it was only received by Mayvelyn on Thursday.

According to records, all identified respondents, except Saquilabon, were arrested by the police after the assassination.

The mayor was aboard a Toyota Fortuner when he was ambushed in front of the National Irrigation Administration compound in Cabanatuan City on July 3, 2018.

Mayvelyn said she and her family suffered so much pain after her husband’s death.

(Editor: Alexander T. Magno)