Solved? Police officials led by PNP chief Oscar Albayalde (right) announce the arrest of four suspects in the killing of Fr. Richmond Nilo. ALFONSO PADILLA
Four new suspects in the killing of Catholic priest Richmond Nilo — including alleged mastermind Manuel Torres and gunman Omar Mallari — are now in police custody.
Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Oscar Albayalde identified the other suspects as Homer Garcia and Allan Maniacop during a press conference at Camp Crame in Quezon City.
Central Luzon police director Chief Supt. Amador Corpus said Torres promised to pay Mallari P100,000 to kill the priest for accusing a nephew of rape and molesting altar boys.
Of the amount, P80,000 had been paid Mallari by Torres, said police officials including Criminal Investigation and Detection Group chief Roel Obusan.
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Corpus said Torres ordered the killing because the parish priest of San Vicente Ferrer in Zaragosa town supported a rape case against his nephew Christopher Torres.
Fr. Nilo was killed last June 10 inside the Nueva Señora Delas Nieve Chapel where he was supposed to celebrate mass. The rape case derailed the entry of the younger Torres, a seminarian, into priesthood, according to investigation.
Last week, one Adell Roll Milan was cleared by a court of any involvement in the Nilo slaying, in what prosecutors and the police admitted to be a case of mistaken identity.
According to Albayalde, they did not stop looking for other suspects even if a witness had already pointed at Milan as the alleged gunman.
The prosecutor and the police said Milan’s family was able to prove he was in a drinking session with friends during the killing.
“We didn’t stop our investigation to give justice (to the victim) whoever the suspects are,” said Albayalde.
“Even though the sacristan (altar boy) pointed at Milan as the alleged suspect, we didn’t stop there because we know that there are more,” Albayalde added.
The police had looked into several other motives for the killing, including a land dispute involving Nilo’s relatives.
