Killing of priest ‘unchristian, un-Filipino’ — Cabanatuan bishop

MANILA, Philippines — The Diocese of Cabanatuan on Monday denounced in strongest terms the killings of Fr. Richmond Nilo, who was shot dead by unidentified assailants before officiating mass Sunday afternoon.

In a statement, Cabanatuan Bishop Sofronio Bancud stressed that killing a priest for whatever reason “is not only unchristian and inhuman; [but] it is also un-Filipino.”

“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.

The Cabanatuan bishop called on for a thorough and impartial investigation of the case and for its swift resolution.

“We likewise appeal to those who might have material knowledge on this matter to please cooperate with police authorities,” Bancud said.

Nilo, the parish priest of St. Vincent Ferrer Parish in Zaragoza, Nueva Ecija, was gunned down by unidentified gunmen as he was about to celebrate a mass inside the Nuestra Señora dela Nieve Chapel in Brgy. Mayamot, Zaragoza, Nueva Ecija.

The 44-year-old priest was the financial administrator of the Diocese of Cabanatuan and the former president of the College of Immaculate Conception in Cabanatuan City.

His death came less than a week after Fr. Rey Urmeneta of the St. Michael the Archangel Parish in Calamba, Laguna was hurt in a shooting attack.

Nilo was the third priest who was killed in a span of six months. Fr. Marcelito Paez was gunned down in Jaen, Nueva Ecija last December 4, while Fr. Mark Ventura was killed by armed men in Gattaran, Cagayan Province.

READ: Another priest in Nueva Ecija gunned down

Palace condemns killing of Nueva Ecija priest

Rep. Teddy Baguilat (Ifugao) also condemned the killing of Nilo, whom he personally knew, and demanded the swift resolution of his case.

“This tyranny and impunity have led the president to warn that lawlessness is taking over the country and yet he has also repeatedly declared his vow to bring peace and order to the Philippines. I sincerely hope that he will make good on his words and bring justice to victims like Fr. Nilo,” Baguilat said.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque Jr. vowed that Malacañang would prioritize the investigation into the priest’s death.

He also said that the attacks of the chief executive against the Church have nothing to do with the killing of Nilo.

But rights group Karapatan doubts that authorities will bring the perpetrators of the killing of Nilo to justice.

“Under the Duterte administration, state-sponsored killings have been continuously justified by government, while police investigations regarding these killings have gone nowhere,” it said.