Zarate tells Albayalde: Stop downplaying killings of priests

Bayan Muna party-list Representative Carlos Zarate on Tuesday slammed Philippine National Police (PNP) director General Oscar Albayalde for seemingly downplaying the recent spate of killings of priests as "isolated" and saying these should not be a cause for alarm.

"This is really inexcusable, even revolting, coming no less from the PNP chief who, in the same breath also said that there are around 1,000 rogue cops who are armed and dangerous," Zarate said in a statement.

On Sunday, Fr. Richmond Nilo was shot dead by still unidentified suspects as he was about to officiate a 6 p.m. Mass in Zaragoza, Nueva Ecija.

Prior to this, motorcycle-riding gunmen also killed Fr. Marcelito Paez, a parish priest in Jaen, Nueva Ecija in December last year.

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, Cagayan.

But Albayalde said there is no cause for public alarm over these killings, as they are only "isolated cases."

The police, however, will not be remiss on its duty to probe these cases, he added.

"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," Albayalde said.

But Zarate noted that the same rogue cops that Albayalde has been saying might become hired guns.

"Just imagine, even if just half of these rogue cops have become hired guns then it should really be a cause for alarm because they could have been hired to assassinate more priests, journalists, activists and critics of the administration," he said.

Instead of downplaying these cases of killings, Zarate urged Albayalde to run after the rogue cops.

"General Albayalde should stop downplaying the extent of the state of impunity in the country because many have already been killed because of it. It would be best if he go all out in finding and arresting these rogue cops and those responsible for the thousands of extrajudicial killings and other violations of human rights in our country," he said.

Albayalde has already ordered the regional director of Police Regional Office 3 Central Luzon to form a special team to investigate Nilo's killing. —KG, GMA News