CATHOLIC bishops bewailed the “escalating violence” in the country against clergymen, following the killing of another priest in Nueva Ecija province.
Archbishop Romulo Valles, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), said the killing of Fr. Richmond Nilo is nothing but an “outrageously evil act!”
“We make our appeal once again to the police authorities to act swiftly in the investigation and to go after the perpetrators of this heinous crime and bring them to justice,” Valles said as quoted by CBCPNews.
The archbishop lamented that the recent attacks against church people happened in the Year of the Clergy and Consecrated Persons.
“I am deeply saddened and bothered because Father Nilo is the third priest to be killed in these recent months,” Valles said.
Nilo was murdered six months after Fr. Marcelito Paez in Jaen, Nueva Ecija, on December 4, 2017, and Fr. Mark Ventura Gattaran, Cagayan, on April 29.
The attack occurred just four days after Fr. Rey Urmeneta of the Saint Michael the Archangel Parish in Calamba was wounded after being shot by unidentified assailants on June 6. Urmeneta, a former police chaplain, suffered wounds to his left upper back and left arm was rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment.
Nilo was gunned down and died on the spot inside the Barangay chapel of Mayamot in Zaragoza town as he was about to celebrate the Mass late last Sunday afternoon.
Nilo, 43, was the parish priest of Saint Vincent Ferrer Parish in Zaragoza town and, at the same time, the Financial Administrator of the Diocese of Cabanatuan. Besides serving vital positions, he was also known for his active involvement in the apostolate for the deaf and mute in the diocese.
Tagle: Do not to be enslaved by violence
The head of Manila’s Roman Catholic Church called on Filipinos to resist being enslaved by violence as the spate of killings continue across the country.
In his message on Independence Day, Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle said that such freedom is worthless if the country is being engulfed by crimes, corruption and poverty.
“It’s a false freedom when we are toying around with justice. We repeat: It is against the will of God to destroy life. Killing is not a solution to personal and societal problems,” he said.
The cardinal lamented the killings of many Filipinos, including Nilo and Henry Acorda, an overseas Filipino worker who was killed in Slovakia.
“I hope no one will be next. We weep for them, their families and our society. We seek justice for them,” Tagle said.
The Manila archbishop called on the people not to respond to violence with violence and for the assassins to stop the killings.
“When you are being ordered or paid to hurt or kill others, do not follow. Do not be a slave. A true free Filipino does not take advantage, destroy and enslave others,” he added.
Tagle also called on lawmakers to review prevailing laws on owning firearms and ammunitions.
“We are calling the attention of our lawmakers and those in charge of peace and order: Why are there too many guns and weapons on the loose?” he asked.
‘Irreparable loss’
Bishop Sofronio Bancud of Cabanatuan said the priest’s death was “tragic” and was an “irreparable loss” for the diocese.
“We condemn in the strongest possible terms and deeply mourn the brutal murder of Father Nilo, and the escalating violence and culture of impunity in the country even against helpless clergymen,” Bancud said.
He said that no priest, and no human being, for that matter, deserves to be killed with utter brutality, disrespect and impunity.
“To kill a priest then, for whatever motive or cause, is not only un-Christian and inhuman, it is also un-Filipino,” he said.
Bishop Bancud demanded justice for Nilo who served his diocese for nearly 17 years.
The bishop asked the faithful to pray for the soul of the slain priest as well for an end to killings in the country.
“We demand for justice, for thorough and impartial investigation of the case and for its swift resolution, as we likewise appeal to those who might have material knowledge on this matter to please cooperate with police authorities,” he said.
PNP eyes leads in killing of priest
Police are following up on leads on at least two possible assailants in the killing of Father Nilo.
Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Oscar D. Albayalde met with Zaragoza, Nueva Ecija, policemen and with Police Regional Office 3 head Chief Supt. Amador Corpuz on Tuesday to follow up developments in the case.
“So far, what we have seen was a CCTV [footage]. We now have a follow up. The investigator and the regional director asked for two days. They already have persons of interest. At least two. We have seen them riding motorcyles. They got a sketch. We cannot publish it now because operations are ongoing. After two days, we can publish their artist’s sketch,” Albayalde told newsmen.
Corpus said they are looking at the possibility that complications arising from land disputes the priest was mediating in behalf of persons who sought his help could be a possible motive for the killing.
“He received death threats because of that. We already have documented leads and we are gathering more evidence,” Corpus said.
The PNP chief said the police are currently attempting to access the slain priest’s cell phone for clues with the help of relatives.
Villegas calls a ‘Day of Reparation’
Archbishop Socrates Villegas of Lingayen-Dagupan invited the faithful to observe a “day of reparation” on June 18, urging the faithful to oppose killings.
June 18 is a Monday, the ninth day after the brutal killing of Nilo.
He said, “Today, the murderers are commended, and the king is undisturbed.”
“God’s justice be upon those who kill the Lord’s anointed ones. There is a special place in hell for killers. There is a worse place for those who kill priests,” Villegas said.
He even invited priests from other dioceses and religious congregations to join the initiative with the consent of their bishops and superiors.
“We beg the Lord to wake up our people, now walking in darkness and numbed by fear, to stand up for the Lord and courageously correct error and sin,” Villegas said.
De Lima hits Duterte for devious effort to discredit Catholic Church
Opposition Sen. Leila M. de Lima has chided Duterte for his deliberate and devious effort to discredit institutions, such as the Catholic Church, which have been critical of his administration’s policy and its propensity at corrupting good Filipino values.
De Lima, the staunchest critic of the administration’s all-out war on drugs, said Duterte’s move to distribute books about alleged corruption in the Catholic Church is highly suspicious aimed at discrediting it and besmirching the reputation of its clergy.
“I find it maliciously and recklessly incendiary for a President to give out books about alleged corruption in the Catholic Church as an official gift to Filipino workers abroad. Instead of sowing hope, he opts to sow intrigues and hatred,” she said.
“It is obvious that he wants to undermine the very institution that continues to speak out against the injustices happening in this country, as well as prompt the citizenry to form negative opinions against the Church,” she added.
In a gathering with the Filipino community in Seoul, South Korea, on June 3, Duterte gave the book Altar of Secrets to an OFW and eventually gave her a kiss on the lips, which prompted criticism across social-media platforms.
The book, published in 2013, supposedly revealed alleged scandals involving Filipino churchmen—from fiscal dishonesty to the breaking of the celibacy vow. The senator from Bicol noted that it was not the first time that Duterte promoted the book to the public, saying that the President has, in earlier public appearances, encouraged his audience to buy a copy of the book.
Image credits: Ilsa Reyes/CBCPNews