5 possible suspects in priest’s murder
MANILA -- Police are considering five possible suspects in the killing of Catholic priest Richmond Nilo, Police Regional Office 3 director Chief Superintendent Amador Corpus said Wednesday, June 13.
Of the five, one has been identified. Corpus said they were verifying his identity.
“We are now looking at five suspects based on CCTV (closed circuit television) footage since up to the next towns na pwedeng pagkukunan ng CCTV,” Corpus said.
“The SITG (Special Investigation Task Group Nilo) have initially identified one personality and they are now working on confirming the identity of this personality,” he added.
Corpus said based on the investigation, among the possible motives of the killing were the victim’s involvement in several land disputes in Nueva Ecija, his support for rape victims and molested children including the filing of charges against the suspects and his alleged criticisms against another religious group.
On Sunday, June 10, Nilo was shot dead by motorcycle-riding suspects in front of the altar in San Pablo Chapel in Zaragoza in Nueva Ecija.
He was the third priest killed in the last six months.
Father Marcelito Paez, 72, was shot dead by motorcycle-ridingsuspects in December 2017, while he was traversing the JaenZaragoza Road in Sitio Sanggalang, Barangay Lambakin also in Nueva Ecija.
On April 29, Father
Mark Ventura, parish priest of San Isidro church in Gattaran, Cagayan, was also shot dead after a Mass.
Albayalde instructed his men to immediately solve Nilo’s killing after President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the police to prioritize the case.