Tabuk, Kalinga – Police have filed murder charges against the suspect in the shooting to death of Indonesian Roman Catholic priest Fr. Francisco Madhu, 31, on Palm Sunday at Mabungtot, Lubuagan, this province.
Kalinga Police Provincial Director Severino Cruz identified those charged as Nestor Wailan, married, farmer and resident of Dugnac, Antonio Canao, Lubuagan, the alleged gunman and his two companions namely Joel Awingan, single, also a resident of Dugnac and Acmor Bonggawon, single, resident of Mabungtot.
Cruz said that contrary to earlier information, there was no fourth suspect.
Cruz informed that despite the week-long operation conducted by the police in the area, the suspects who are armed with M16 rifles and one 12-guage shotgun remain at large.
Cruz said that apart from the manhunt, the police are also negotiating the voluntary surrender of the suspects with the help of Lubuagan mayor Johnny Dickpus and councilor Gaspar Dickley.
Regarding the motive of the shooting, Cruz quoted witnesses as saying that the men were earlier offering to sell their guns to the barangay captain of Mabungtot and latter to Madhu and that both declined.
“They were drunk so there was no clear motive for the shooting,” Cruz said.
Meanwhile, Vicariate of Tabuk Bishop Prudencio Andaya, Jr. told media that during the burial of Fr. Madhu on April 9, the Indonesian ambassador had made it clear that their government want to see justice done for the death of the priest.
Andaya also said that there is no decision to pull out Fr. Gerry Gudmalin, the parish priest of Lubuagan, because “we are missionaries and are not supposed to run away from turmoil” but only for Fr. Gudmalin to take precaution in the wake of the killing his assistant.
“We have advised Fr. Gerry not to go to the barrios while the suspects are still at large. However, in the event that Fr. Gerry wants to go on vacation because the burden is too heavy to bear, I will allow him. He can come back when the assailants are already arrested,” the bishop said.
Andaya said that Madhu is the fourth priest killed in Kalinga. He named the other victims as Fr. Conrado Aquino who was gunned down in 1972 while riding in the car of the governor, Fr. Elias Bareng who was caugth in the midst of tribal fighting in Mangali, Tanudan in 1980 and Fr. Leo van de Winkle who was abducted and believed to have been killed in 1988.
Andaya also said that apart from the four victims, his predecesssor Bishop Carlito Cenzon was hacked and wounded at Nambaran, Tabuk and before that Fr. Mike Halterman was shot and wounded in the sacristry of the St. William's Cathedral before saying mass on Black Saturday.(Estanislao Albano, Jr.)
More on Fr. Madhu at http://divinewordseminary.blogspot.com/
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