Priest gunned down in Nueva Ecija

(UPDATED) - A Catholic priest was killed in Nueva Ecija on Monday evening, December 4, by unidentified motorcycle-riding gunmen, a police official said Tuesday.

Father Marcelito Paez, 72, was on board his vehicle traversing Jaen-Zaragoza Road in Sitio Sanggalang Barangay Lambakin around 7:30 p.m. when he was gunned down.

Luis Jalandoni, senior adviser of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines, blamed President Rodrigo Duterte for the death of Paez. NDF is the political arm of the Communist Party of the Philippines.

"[I] vigorously condemn Duterte and his killers for the murder of Fr. Marcelito "Tito" Paez. Fr. Paez, coordinator of the Rural Missionaries in Central Luzon, helped in the release (on December 4) of political prisoner Rommel Tucay," Jalandoni said in a post on his Twitter account. Tucay was detained in Cabanatuan City.

Ceferino, the priest’s brother, however, said they cannot think of anybody who has a motive to kill Paez because he was a friendly person.

He said the aging priest was staying in a retirement home in Santo Domingo and was just invited to celebrate Mass in different areas.

Superintendent Eliseo Tanding, Nueva Ecija Provincial Police Office chief, said initial investigation showed that four men on board two motorcycles followed the priest before they shot him several times.

He said Paez was rushed to the Gonzales General Hospital, but the victim was pronounced dead at around 10 p.m. due to multiple gunshot wounds. One bullet pierced his kidney while another was lodged near his spinal cord.

"Buhay pa siya while on the way sa hospital. Nagbiro pa nga raw si father doon sa mga nagsugod sa kanya sa hospital. Wala naman din daw syang sinabing nakaaway o naiisip na may galit sa kanya (He was still alive on the way to the hospital. He even made a joke. He said he could not think of anybody who has a grudge against him)," said Tanding.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque Jr. said it was premature to classify as "political killing" the death of Paez.

He said it would be better to wait for the results of the investigation.

"We do not know yet if this is a political killing pursuant to the definition of the Supreme Court on extralegal killings, which is the killing of political activists and the killing of journalists. However, it will be investigated," Roque told Palace reporters.

"If authorities decide that this is an instance of a killing of an activist, then we have AO (Administrative Order) 35 that was created precisely to investigate and prosecute these cases. They will be investigated by police authorities. And if there’s sufficient evidence to charge anyone, then authorities are duty-bound to file the necessary information," he added.

Through Proclamation 360 issued on November 23, Duterte scrapped the peace talks with the communist insurgents, citing the continuing attacks by the communists' armed wing New People's Army against state forces.

The President had also warned that he will order the arrest of the communist rebels and individuals sympathetic to them. (SunStar Philippines)

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