Cabanatuan City–A prime suspect in the killing of Fr. Richmond Nilo has been arrested in Barangay Malapit San Isidro, Nueva Ecija, police said Friday.
PC/Supt. Amado V. Corpus, Region 3 director, identified the suspect as Adell Roll Milan, 25, a resident of Barangay Malapit San Isidro, Nueva Ecija, and a known gun for hire.
He and five other John Does have been charged with the murder before the Nueva Ecija Provincial Prosecutor’s Office.
Earlier, thousands of Catholics accompanied bishops and parish priests in the province to Nilo’s burial at the Crypta Saint Nicolas De Tolentine Church.
Nilo was shot dead afternoon before celebrating Mass inside a chapel in Barangay Mayamot on June 5 at around 5:15 pm.
He suffered multiple gunshot wounds to different parts of his bodies and died instantly.
Police identified the suspects through CCTV footage and witness accounts.
Nilo was the former president of the College of Immaculate Conception in Cabanatuan City. He was the third priest to be killed in a span of six months.
Also on Friday, opposition Senator Risa Hontiveros urged Senate President Vicente Sotto III to reconsider his rejection of calls for a Senate investigation into the killings.
“I call on Senate President Sotto to reconsider his take on this matter. The Catholic Church and the millions of Catholic faithful demand that we take action,” Hontiveros said.
Sotto had rejected calls for an investigation, saying the police should be allowed to do their work.
Hontiveros thanked Senator Panfilo Lacson, chairman of the Senate committee on public order, for agreeing to hear the issue, and urged other senators to support the inquiry.
She also disputed Sotto’s assessment that the killings could be “a coincidence.”
“Once is an unfortunate random event. Twice could be a coincidence. Thrice is a pattern,” she said.
“With all due respect to the Senate president, but I think the killings are continuing and too similar to be dismissed as mere coincidence.”
On Wednesday, Hontiveros filed a resolution directing the Senate committee on public order to look into the killings of Nilo, Fr. Mark Ventura and Fr. Marcelito Paez. With Macon Ramos Araneta
