ZARAGOZA, Nueva Ecija -- The Philippine National Police (PNP) is thoroughly investigating and exerting all efforts to immediately solve the killing of a parish priest who was about to celebrate mass in a chapel in Barangay Mayamot this town Sunday night.
"Hindi natin palalampasin itong ganitong insidente (We would not let this kind of incident to pass over)," said Chief Supt. Amado Corpus, Central Luzon police director, on the killing of Catholic priest Fr. Richmond Nilo of the Diocese of Cabanatuan.
Corpus, who conducted an inspection of the crime scene late Sunday night, said the whole force of the regional police may be used if only to get into the bottom of the case.
"I have already received instruction from the Chief PNP that whatever we need in investigating it they will be supporting us," he added.
He ordered the creation of an special investigation task group which includes the provincial and town police offices and the police crime laboratory office.
“The two slugs and seven empty shells from a cal. 45 recovered from the crime scene have been subjected to laboratory examination and cross matching while a CCTV footage is being enhanced for possible identification of the riding in tandem assailants,” he said.
The footage shows the assailants were two men in short pants and t-shirts with face cover.
Mayamot chairwoman Isabelita Paraton, who was sitting on the third row in front, a few meters away from the altar, said everyone of the over 50 parishioners could be concentrating on Fr. Nilo when they were shocked by the volley of fires.
"Father Nilo went straight to the altar and then while he was standing, there was a gunshot. We did not see who shot and how many are the assailants because we all lied face down,” Parton said.
The first thing she heard after were cries of, "Si father, si father binaril!" she said.
The Diocese of Cabanatuan, meanwhile, described the killing as "not only unchristian and inhuman; it is also un-Filipino.”
Bishop Sofronio Bancud, in a statement released on Monday, said that "no priest, and no human being for that matter deserves to be killed with utter brutality, disrespect and impunity."
"Every priest, however, imperfect, is God's gift to His church and we are duty-bound to respect them as ambassadors for Christ," Bancud said.
"To kill a priest then for whatever motive or cause is not only unchristian and inhuman; it is also un-Filipino," Bancud said.
Fr. Nilo, 44, is also the financial administrator of the Diocese of Cabanatuan.
Bancud asked faithfuls to pray for Nilo’s soul, peace, healing and security of communities and for the clergy and the religious.
"We condemn in the strongest terms and mourn the brutal murder of Fr. Richmond V. Nilo and the escalating violence and culture of impunity in the country even against helpless clergymen, " Bancud's statement reads.
It also demanded justice. (PNA)
