PNP looking into 5 suspects in Fr. Nilo’s killing, 1 identified
Police have already identified a suspect in the killing of a Catholic priest in Nueva Ecija province last week while four others have already been the subject of an investigation.
In a press briefing at Camp Crame, Chief Superintendent Amador Corpus, regional director of Central Luzon Police Regional Office (PRO-3), said the Special Investigation Task Group (SITG) Nilo are already on the process of confirming the identity of the suspect tagged in the killing of Father Richmond Nilo, the parish priest of St. Vincent Ferrer Parish in Zaragoza, Nueva, Ecija.
He said that the Task Force Nilo are hot on the trail of the five suspects who were seen in the closed-circuit television (CCTV) footages retrieved from the nearby barangays and towns.
“We are now looking into five suspects based on the CCTV footages that we obtained [from Barangay Mayamot, Zaragoza] up to the next towns where we can get CCTV [footages],” he shared.
“We have initially identified one personality and the SITG in Nueva Ecija is now working on this, confirming the identity of this personality which is you know nakita sa CCTV (seen on the CCTV),” he added.
However, Corpus refused to give specific details on the identified suspect so as not to jeopardize the on-going investigation. However, he dropped a hint that the suspect was among the three “lookouts” who rode the get-away vehicle parked about two to three kilometers from the chapel.
In Malacañang, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque assured yesterday that those behind the murder of three Catholic priests during the past six months will be brought to justice.
Roque issued the statement after Archbishop Socrates Villegas called on President Duterte to stop the “verbal persecution” of the Catholic Church.
Roque said the Palace is one with the Catholic Church and the faithful in denouncing the murders of Father Mark Ventura, Father Tito Paez, and Father Richmond Nilo.
The Palace official assured that the authorities are taking measures to serve justice and to protect the members of the clergy.
At least three possible motives behind Father Nilo’s killing are being considered by the SITG Nilo, including the priest’s active participation in land dispute issues in Nueva Ecija, his role in supporting rape victims and filing charges against the suspects, and his staunch “criticism” of other religious sect’s wrongdoings.
Meanwhile, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Oscar Albayalde expressed optimism that the case will be resolved immediately and the suspects will be put behind bars.
He also said the PNP is willing to provide security to members of the religious sector if they think there’s a threat on their lives.
Fr. Nilo was the third Catholic priest to be slain by unidentified gunmen since December of last year. The first was Fr. Paez in Jaen, Nueva Ecija, followed by Ventura who was shot after officiating a mass in Gattaran, Cagayan on April 29.
Only last week, Father Rey Urmeneta, former director of the PNP Chaplain Services and now the parish priest of Saint Michael the Archangel Parish in Calamba, Laguna, survived an ambush. (With a report from Argyll Geducos)