Suspect in priest’s slay cleared, freed

The killing of Catholic priest Richmond Nilo on Friday hit a blank wall after a regional trial court (RTC) in Cabanatuan City cleared and ordered the release of the erstwhile suspect in the case, Adell Roll Milan.

Presiding Judge Angelo Perez of Cabanatuan City RTC Branch 27 set Milan free after acting Provincial Prosecutor Eddie Gutierrez withdrew the criminal complaint.

The family of Milan presented proof to the police and prosecutor that he could not have possibly killed the priest in a chapel in Zaragosa, Nueva Ecija because he was drinking with friends at the time of the murder.

In a signed statement which said he would not file a complaint against the police over his wrongful arrest last June 14, Milan said the Philippine National Police has a new suspect in one Omar Milan.

Milan was arrested on June 14 by policemen in civilian clothes outside his house in an Isidro, Nueva Ecija, based on what the police said was his resemblance with the cartographic sketch of the suspect in the killing of the priest.

Lawyer Lorenzo “Larry” Gadon, who came to public complaint with his impeachment complaint against ousted Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, represented Milan in the case.

The slaying of Fr. Nilo followed that of the killings of two other priests, Fr. Mark Anthony Ventura,37, in Cagayan; and Fr. Marcelito Paez, also in Nueva Ecija.