NBI returns warrant for Italian priest’s ‘killer’

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

KIDAPAWAN CITY -- Agents of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) from Northern Mindanao have returned the warrant of arrest to the Regional Trial Court (RTC) branch 13 in Cotabato City against the suspected killer of Italian missionary from North Cotabato originated, a top NBI official said.

However, suspect Jimmy Ato, a Teduray from North Upi, Maguindanao, was not presented to the court, said lawyer Virgil Mendez, deputy chief of the Regional Operations Service of NBI-Davao Region.

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Mendez said after the court has taken cognizance of the arrest of Ato, they would file a motion or letter request that the accused remain in their protection until such time charges in connection with the killing of Father Fausto Tentorio are filed against him.

"The motion or letter request will follow if the court issued an order directing the NBI to turn over the living person of Jimmy Ato to the issuing RTC court in Cotabato City," Mendez said.

"Definitely, we would turn over Ato to the court in Cotabato City in due time. That's the next step we would follow," he added.

Based on testimonies of several witnesses, Ato is being implicated in the killing of the priest of the Pontifical Institute of Foreign Mission (Pime) in October last year.

Tentorio was priest of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish in Arakan, a hinterland town in North Cotabato.

He has served the lumads in the province for more than 20 years, reports said.

"Ato's involvement in Tentorio's killing is still being investigated. Although we arrested Ato based on the warrant issued by RTC 13 in 1995, there were witnesses saying the suspect was seen before and during the killing," Mendez said.

This, as natives from Barangay Kulaman Valley in Arakan, North Cotabato where Ato resides, trooped to the office of Representative Nancy Catamco (2nd district, Cotabato) to show support to Roberto Ato, younger brother of the alleged Tentorio's killer.

Fearing for his life and the safety of his family, Roberto sought Catamco's help. The Atos are among Catamco's leaders in Arakan town.

Roberto, according to reports, is considered an accomplice in the killing.

Accordingly, he was the driver of the blue Honda XRM motorcycle the suspect used as get-away vehicle when the priest was killed last October 17, 2011.

But at this time, Mendez said, the NBI will not arrest Roberto even if they know he was taken under Catamco's custody.

"We have yet no legal basis for arresting Roberto. This is despite the fact that he has already been identified. Also, my men said Roberto was carrying a gun, and in fact fired it, at the time his elder brother was arrested in their village. But we want to erase the impression that we arrest a person without a legal basis," Mendez said.