Albayalde says killings of priests not a cause for public alarm

Philippine National Police chief Director General Oscar Albayalde on Monday said there is no reason for the public to be alarmed over the killings of three priests in a span of six months.

The country's top cop said the recent killings of priests are all "isolated cases" but this does not mean that the PNP will be remiss on its duty to investigate such cases.

"These are isolated cases, remember, but then again, itong mga patayan na ito, hindi naman natin puwedeng pabayaan din. Hindi naman nating puwedeng we put on a blind eye on this kaya nga iniimbestigahan natin ito. And in every killing especially 'yung mga ganyan, mga pari, politician o other prominent persons ay nagki-create tayo ng SITG [Special Investigation Task Group] to solve the incident," Albayalde said.

"Hindi naman nating sinasabi na pababayaan lang natin 'yan...Sometimes there are personal reason. Alam naman natin kung minsan dito sa atin, makaaway mo personal, babalikan ka ng isang tao," he added.

Albayalde issued the remark after he was asked what the killings of priests says about the overall peace and security in the country.

Fr. Richmond Nilo was shot dead by still unidentified suspects as he was about to officiate a 6 p.m. Mass on Sunday in a chapel in Barangay Mayamot in Naragosa, Nueva Ecija. He is the third priest to have been killed in a span of six months. 

In December, motorcycle-riding gunmen killed Fr. Marcelito Paez, a parish priest in Jaen, Nueva Ecija.

This was followed by the killing of Fr. Mark Anthony Ventura who was also shot by motorcycle-riding gunmen late April after officiating a mass in Barangay Piña in Gattaran town, Tuguegarao.

Further pressed on whether the deaths of the said priests should be a cause for alarm, Albayalde said that it is for the PNP but not for the public.

"Hindi naman siguro...Probably it can cause an alarm on our part but not on the public," he said.

The PNP chief also appealed to individuals who have been receiving threats to seek police assistance in order to prevent a repeat of the incident.

"Kung talagang meron pang mga threat 'yung mga pari, ka-parian o kung sino man, sabihin sa atin. Remember we cannot act on something that we do not know of. Hindi natin puwede kasing basahin 'yung isip ng kung sinong may isip eh, kaya kung may threat sana siya at nasabi niya na sa atin, then probably baka na-prevent ang pangyayaring 'yan," Albayalde said.

"'Yun ang pinakaimportante dito but hindi ito cause for alarm for the public. Hindi naman ito nangyari pang-araw-araw sa atin," he added. —KG, GMA News