NBI looking at politics in death of Palawan election official

The gunslaying of a Commission on Elections (Comelec) official in Puerto Princesa City in Palawan might have been triggered by his refusal to provide an advance voters’ list to a politician, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) said.

Election Assistant 2 Petronilo Amorin Jr., 40, was shot dead at close range last April 2 as he was walking back to his office after dinner at a nearby restaurant.

"We are looking at the motive that a politician had asked him for an advance copy of the voters’ list in Puerto Princesa City, but Amorin reportedly refused to grant that particular favor," NBI Deputy director for Regional Operations Service Reynaldo Esmeralda said. He did not name the politician.

NBI operatives arrested 38-year-old suspect Alfredo Carandang days later. He turned out to be a bodyguard of independent mayoralty candidate retired police general Eduardo Matillano.

Matillano headed the PNP-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group before his retirement two years ago. He is challenging incumbent Mayor Edward Hagedorn in the mayoralty race in May.

But despite Carandang’s alleged involvement in the killing, the NBI said it has yet to find strong evidence to link Matillano to the murder.

Esmeralda said they are also searching for the driver of a yellow tricycle used by Carandang to escape.

"Since we only have two investigators in our Palawan District Office, we would be sending in five more investigators from Manila to Puerto Princesa particularly for this case," Esmeralda said.

He added the NBI would also be sending a medico legal team to conduct a parallel autopsy on Amorin’s body to determine if he was shot at close range as claimed by witnesses Junel Dimpas and Leo Dangue.

Dimpas and Dangue, both city government employees, said they saw Carandang put his arm around the victim before shooting him dead with a .45 caliber pistol on the night of April 2.