POLICE said Monday, July 2, that the new suspect in the killing of Catholic priest Richmond Nilo has admitted to the crime and identified the mastermind.
Omar Mallari, alleged leader of the Bulik crime group, has executed an affidavit admitting to the shooting of Nilo and identifying the mastermind as Manuel Torres.
He was arrested in Arayat, Pampanga on June 22. His two alleged cohorts, Ronaldo Garcia and Marius Albis, have surrendered and admitted participation in the shooting.
Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Oscar Albayalde said Mallari was arrested after a junk shop owner identified him as the person who sold some spare parts that were later traced to the vehicle that was used during the crime.
Criminal Investigation and Detction Group (CIDG) Roel Obusan said that after Mallari gunned down Nilo on June 10, he and his cohorts burned the vehicle that they used and sold some parts to junk shops.
The vehicle was traced through closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage.
Police Regional Office 3 director Chief Superintendent Amador Corpus said Mallari admitted during interrogation to having killed Nilo.
Based on their investigation and affidavit executed by Mallari and his two cohorts, the mastermind of the killing was Manuel Torres.
“Itong si Torres nagi-itik sa Nueva Ecija, pumasok siya (Garcia) naging magkumpare sila until such time si Manuel Torres who was arrested over explosives nagpahanap siya kung may kilala siyang tirador. Siya naman nag-link kay Bulik, tawag nila kay Omar (Mallari),” he said.
The Bulik crime group is allegedly engaged in gun-for-hire activities and robberies in Pampanga and Nueva Ecija provinces.
“Nabanggit nito sa affidavit niya na si Manuel Torres pamangkin niya si Christopher Torres ‘yung seminarista, kinasuhan ng molestation and rape ni father, nasabi nito na galit si Manuel Torres, dahil hindi natuloy si Christopher sa pagkapari dahil kinasuhan nga ni father ng rape so we are looking into that lead as for now,” he added.
Torres allegedly ordered a hit on Nilo, after the priest assisted in the filing of molestation and rape charges against a certain Christopher Torres. The younger Torres, a seminarian, is a nephew of the alleged mastermind.
Corpus said Nilo helped three sacristans, all minors, who were allegedly molested by Torres in March 2017.
Because of the charges, the younger Torres had to drop out of the seminary. The case had been dismissed, but was revived with the help of Nilo. Torres is currently out on bail.
With the arrest of Mallari and the surrender of his cohorts, police earlier released from detention Adell Milan, who was first arrested for Nilo's murder.
Albayalde on Monday showed how Milan was mistaken for Mallari because of their similar facial features. Milan matched the the cartographic sketch of the suspect issued by the police.
“Kung pagmasdan ninyo this is the cartographic sketch ni Milan at ni Mallari, you see the similarities,” he said.
(Look at the cartographic sketch. You could see the similarities between Milan and Mallari.)
Corpus said the case could not be considered solved yet as they still have to arrest other suspects identified as Rolly Sigua, Bernie Limpio, Allan Maniacop and Michael Ocampo. (SunStar Philippines)