Murder case withdrawn vs. suspect in Richmond Nilo slay

The Nueva Ecija Regional Trial Court has granted a motion to withdraw the case against Adel Roll Milan, one of the suspects in the killing of Catholic priest Richmond Nilo.

Lawyer Larry Gadon on Friday said the prosecutor's office earlier filed the motion to withdraw information due to mistaken identity and that a "new development" in the case that will be revealed on Monday.

"Now, there is a new development, nag-file sila ng withdrawal," Gadon said at a press briefing in Quezon City.

"Alam ko naman kung ano yung development, pero kaya lang, I will give the privilege to (Police Chief) General Oscar Albayalde to announce the development," he continued, noting that he was not authorized to disclose the information.

The order for dismissal is currently being processed by the court.

Gadon, Milan's legal counsel, said they will not press counter charges against the police who arrested the former suspect as he believes the arrest of his client was a result of the police's "eagerness to solve the case."

Atty. Larry Gadon speaks on the withdrawal of charges against Adelle Roll Milan, a suspect in the killing of Catholic priest Richmond Nilo in Nueva Ecija. pic.twitter.com/IHCiHWtI18

— Rie Takumi (@rie_takumi) June 29, 2018

"It's a clear case of mistaken identity. Mga kaibigan na natin yun," he said.

"They relied on the statements of the witnesses and the reports. But I cannot really say that nagkamali. Ayoko naman silang husgahan ng ganun," Gadon said.

In his sworn affidavit, Milan said authorities dropped the charge against him after they arrested Omar Mallari, who they thought was the real suspect behind the killing.

Nilo was shot dead by motorcycle-riding suspects while he was about to officiate a 6 p.m. Mass in a chapel in Barangay Mayamot in Zaragoza, Nueva Ecija. He was laid to rest last Friday.

He was the third priest to be killed in six months.

Police are still hunting four to five other suspects with investigators still looking into three possible motives which include Nilo's involvement on helping minors, especially those who were either molested or raped, to file appropriate charges against suspects. — MDM, GMA News