Police are eyeing politics as the main motive behind last week's killing of Mambusao town's Vice Mayor Abel Martinez.

Chief Superintendent Cipriano Querol Jr., director of the Police Regional Office, confirmed that the sworn affidavit of Renato Lago and Jerzon Magallanes, both construction workers of Kirskat Ventures matched with the statement given by alias Junjun, houseboy of the Martinez family and the lone witness of the incident.

Martinez was gunned down last May 4, about 6 a.m. by still unidentified riding-in-tandem assassins.

He sustained five gunshot wounds, three in the head and two in the chest.

Noting the age of the vice mayor and his being a strong contender in the 2013 elections, Querol said that they "do not see any possible motive for his killing, except politics."

"The facial composite sketch of the suspects given by Junjun matched with the descriptions given by the two construction workers of Kriskat Ventures," he stated.

Kirskat Ventures is owned by Engr. Leodegario Labao, the contractor of the ongoing rehabilitation project of the Mambusao public plaza, which was opposed by the slain vice mayor.

Labao has also announced earlier that he will run for mayor in the mid-term election next year.

INVESTIGATION

The investigation revealed that the said engineer allegedly instructed the foreman identified as Cornelio Bautista to look for a place in Mambusao to accommodate four men from Iloilo.

Bautista then allegedly contacted Lago. It was also discovered that prior to the incident, the four men tagged for the killing of Martinez stayed for almost three weeks at the house of Lago's mother.

A hot pursuit operation was already conducted for the arrest of the said foreman.

However, the said engineer denied any involvement in the crime.

REWARD

For the capture of Martinez's assassins, the provincial government of Capiz, DOTC Secretary Mar Roxas and Roxas City government offered P600,000 reward money for the informant.

Tanco and DOTC offered P500,000 reward while the city government pledged P100,000 reward.

Meanwhile, amid suspicions on his alleged involvement in the crime, Labao has also offered P100,000 as an additional reward.

Martinez was a practicing medical doctor and a former three-term member of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Capiz.*