Probers face blank wall on Tentorio slay case

KIDAPAWAN CITY, Philippines  – Almost a month after the incident, investigators are still facing a blank wall in unmasking the perpetrators of the murder of Italian priest Fausto Tentorio in Arakan town in North Cotabato.

Local officials said a special team of combined operatives from the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group and the National Bureau of Investigation are expected to arrive today in Arakan for another site inspection and case conference.

Arakan Mayor Gerardo Tuble and Arakan police chief Senior Inspector Benjamin Rio­florido, earlier said there are witnesses to the crime, among them a mother and her daughter who were near the place where Tentorio was killed.

Arakan residents have complained that the police have imposed a centralized dissemination of updates through Chief Superintendent Lester Camba of the Region 12 police.

“We have not heard of anything more since we heard from authorities that there are now identified witnesses than can help hasten the investigation,” a barangay official who asked not to be identified said.

Sources from Arakan’s Catholic and local tribal communities also raised fears that Tentorio’s death will end up among the unresolved high-profile killings in the province.

Even members of Arakan’s multi-sectoral peace and order council could not provide any information on the developments of the case.