Police eye 5 suspects in killing of Father Richmond Nilo

Investigators are now considering at least five suspects who are allegedly involved in the killing Nueva Ecija parish priest Fr. Richmond Nilo, Central Luzon regional director Chief Superintendent Amador Corpus said Wednesday.

Corpus said that based upon the backtracking and review of closed-circuit footages of the Special Investigation Task Group Nilo, there were at least five persons involved in the incident with one of them have already been identifed.

“We are now looking into five suspects based on CCTV footage since up to the next towns na pwedeng pagkukunan ng CCTV,” Corpus said at a press briefing in Camp Crame, Quezon City.

“The SITG right now have initially identified one personality and is now working on confirming the identity of this personality,” he added.

Nilo was shot dead on Sunday by motorcycle-riding suspects while he was about to officiate a 6 p.m. Mass in a chapel in Barangay Mayamot in Zaragosa, Nueva Ecija.

Police earlier considered two persons of interest but Corpus said that they found out that there were at least three lookouts who were riding a sedan that tailed the victim from one barangay until he reached the chapel where he was supposed to officiate a mass.

The gunman and another suspect onboard the motorcycle allegedly waited for Nilo to arrive at the chapel. The five suspects then switched their vehicles after the crime was committed, said Corpus.

"The three na ginamit na lookouts na nakasakay formerly from the getaway car, ito actually ang sumunod kay Father in going to the kapilya of Mayamoy. So ito naman ang tato were seen on CCTV, tatlo silang magka-angkas, sakay ng motor na ginamit ng dalawang gunman," Corpus said.

Probers are 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.

He added that the slain parish priest was also active on helping those involved in land disputes. Investigators are also considering the actions of Nilo being a "staunch critic" of "other religious sector."  — RSJ/NB, GMA News