THE CLERGY of the diocese of Malolos on Tuesday issued a statement condemning the murder of priest Richmond V. Nilo last Sunday by still unidentified gunmen at a chapel in Zaragoza, Nueva Ecija. “It was not only a heinous crime but also a cowardly act perpetrated by lost souls in our society now grappling for answers to the many violence in our midst,” said the diocese. “We trust the police and civil authorities will exhaust all means to bring into justice the people behind Fr. Nilo’s murder along with those other crimes that remain unsolved to this day,” the statement added. Fr. Nilo is the third priest to be shot to death in the last seven months, following the murders of Fathers Marcelito Paez and Mark Ventura in December and April, respectively. The Catholic Bishops’s Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) released a similar statement on Monday. The police, on the same day, announced that they had formed a special team to investigate the latest murder. Allaying concerns of growing disorder in the country, Police Director General Oscar G. Albayalde has labelled the incidents as “isolated cases” and not an accurate reflection of the peace and order situation.— Dane Angelo M. Enerio

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