Duterte concerned over killings of journalists, priests and fiscals

PRESIDENT RODRIGO DUTERTE has expressed concern on the rise in the number of killings following the series of killings that have targeted media practitioners, priests and prosecutors.

Just recently, a lone gunman murdered Catholic priest Father Richmond Nilo in Nueva Ecija. He was third priest killed in the past seven months.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said that the government will make the case its top priority. “Nababahala talaga si Presidente dito sa pagtaas ng kriminalidad,” Roque said.

Roque said that Police Director General Oscar Albayalde is supervising the probe into the killing of the priest. He also emphasized that unlike the administration of former President Benigno Aquino, the current administration is not taking lightly the spate of killings, including those of media men and prosecutors.

“Hindi gaya ng mga nakalipas na administrasyon, mayroon po tayong task force pagdating sa patayan ng mga mamamahayag. Hindi lang po ‘yan lip service, talaga pong mayroon tayong isang Undersecretary Egco na siya mismo po ang nagsusupervise ng investigation,” he said, referring to Communications Undersecretary Joel Egco who heads the Presidential Task Force on Media Security) created by President Rodrigo R. Duterte in 2016 to address killings and harassments of journalists.

Roque assured that the government will provide justice for the civilians killed. “At ito namang pagpatay po ng mga prosecutors, eh tinututukan po din namin ‘yan. In other words, ang katungkulan po natin ‘pag may patayan, imbestigahan at bigyan ng katarungan ang mga biktima,” he said.