By GENALYN D. KABILIN
The alleged illicit affairs of Fr. Mark Ventura with several women could be the “strongest” possible motive behind his killing, President Duterte said in Davao City Friday.
The President read a portion of a confidential police report about Ventura’s case that claimed he was a womanizer who fathered a child.
“Ang strongest is actually babae,” Duterte said about the suspected motive behind the priest’s murder during a science and technology forum. “There is a big possibility that the first motive, the love triangle, is the main reason why Fr. Mark Anthony
Ventura was liquidated by still unidentified person because of so many women who were believed to be linked to him,” he said.
Reading the report, the President said the women were “wives and daughters and paramours of big-time businessmen, politicians, and even members of the, who have the capability to tap service of highly organized men.”
He said the police have retrieved alleged text messages on the “dirty talk” between Ventura and some women.
Duterte said in jest that he would have wanted to be friends with Ventura after noticing his women were beautiful. “Ito ang gusto kong ma-barkada. Namatay lang ang buang eh. Baka pwede exchange-exchange,” said Duterte, a self-confessed womanizer.
In the report, Duterte said Ventura was described as “a very kind person, accommodating, independent, and a strong character.” But the priest was also allegedly “a heavy drinker of beer and alleged to be a womanizer,” he added.
“Information obtained that he had a child with still unidentified woman in Cagayan,” he revealed.
Apart from love triangle, Duterte said the police were not discounting the “political motive” behind Ventura’s murder last April. “Second motive: Political. Information obtained during 2016 national and local elections. Fr. Mark Ventura was discreetly, has discreetly campaigned for congressman blank against former blank,” he said, omitting some words in the report.
“Gathered reveals that the politician even fired his rifle after he lost the election. Another informant of the source said this 2018 barangay, he was actively campaigning for barangay,” he said.
