PNoy vows justice for slain Italian priest

President Benigno Aquino III on Tuesday vowed to seek justice for the killing of Italian priest Father Fausto Tentorio, who was gunned down in North Cotabato on Monday. “Dapat walang duda…Regardless of who did the crime, they will have to pay. That has been the direction of this administration from the start—you do the crime, you will be in jail," Aquino said during an interview after the 110th Philippine Coast Guard anniversary celebration in Manila.
Tentorio was the parish priest of the Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Arakan and also served as director of the diocesan program for indigenous peoples. He was shot and killed by a lone gunman inside the church compound at around 7:30 a.m. on Monday. Aquino said police are looking into different angles and suspects, even the possible involvement of para-military groups. But he said that they are also considering "theories pointing to other threat groups." “Mayroon rin silang mga leads na ini-explore. Pero at this point in time we are not prepared to name the suspects involved in this. Dini-develop pa ng ating kapulisan ‘yung lahat ng leads na na-unearth," he said. DOJ probe The Department of Justice (DOJ) will investigate killing of Tentorio, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima revealed also on Tuesday. De Lima said she has assigned Undersecretary Francisco Baraan III to head the task force that will investigate the killing of Tentorio and submit a report to the DOJ special task force on extralegal killings. The secretary also ordered Baraan to “closely coordinate with the National Bureau of Investigation and the Philippine National Police and monitor the progress of the investigation." “And in line with the current set-up/mechanism, certain prosecutors will be assisting in evidence gathering and eventual case build up once perpetrators are identified," De Lima added. The Justice chief’s order came shortly after a group of militants from the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan), Karapatan, Promotion of Church People’s Response (PCPR) staged an “emergency action" in front of the DOJ compound in Manila, urging the agency to probe the killing. — with Kim Tan/RSJ/PE/ELR, GMA News