By MARTIN A. SADONGDONG
The Philippine National Police (PNP) has created a special investigation task group (SITG) to dig deeper into the shooting death of Father Mark Ventura in Gattaran, Cagayan Sunday.
Chief Superintendent Elmo Sarona, head of the police’s Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management (DIDM), bared the SITG, led by Senior Superintendent Warren Tolito, Cagayan police chief, has been “pursuing several motives” in solving the case.
“However, I cannot divulge it as of now so as not to preempt the next move of the investigators,” Sarona said.
According to the ongoing investigation, Ventura had just finished officiating mass past 8 a.m. last Sunday at a gymnasium in Barangay Piña Weste, Gattaran town when a helmet-wearing gunman shot him twice from behind: once in the head and another in the body. The suspect fled on-board a motorcycle driven by a cohort. Ventura was declared dead on the spot by the police.
Speculations arose that Ventura, the parish priest of San Isidro Labrador Mission Station based in Barangay Mabono, Gattaran, was killed because he was a staunch anti-mining advocate.
Sarona, in response, said, “We may include that among possible motives.”
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) noted the 37-year-old priest was also a dedicated advocate of indigenous peoples’ (IPs) rights.
Meanwhile, Sarona denied Ventura’s killing is part of an alleged crackdown on the religious sector following the controversial deportation of Australian nun, Sister Patricia Fox for alleged participation in anti-government protests, but Sarona said such allegations are “malicious.”
“An investigation is already on-going. We do not want to speculate. Let us wait for the result of the investigation,” he said.
Only last December, a priest was also killed in cold blood in Jaen, Nueva Ecija.
Father Marcelito Paez, 72, was shot dead by motorcycle-riding gunmen hours after helping facilitate the release of a political prisoner in Cabanatuan.
The case remains unsolved to date.