Church, groups condemn killing of Italian priest
Submitted by joy on Wed, 10/19/2011 - 12:00.
Church, groups condemn killing of Italian priest
Published Date: October 18, 2011
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| Fr. Fausto Tentorio |
AN Italian priest doing mission work in the hinterlands of North
Cotabato, southern Philippines, was gunned down inside the compound of
Mother of Perpetual Help parish in Arakan town, according to a local
official.
Fr. Fausto Tentorio, 59, of the Pontifical Institute for Foreign
Missions (PIME), was shot dead by a lone gunman as he was about to board
his pickup truck at around 7:30am, said town councilor Leonardo
Reovoca.
The murder was immediately condemned by the Diocese of Kidapawan, Church groups and environmental organizations in the country.
“This is really heinous. We’re so sad and shocked that this killing
happened in broad daylight,” said Bishop Romulo dela Cruz of Kidapawan.
Autopsy reports showed Father Tentorio sustained eight gunshot wounds
in different parts of his body. Senior Inspector Benjamin Rioflorido,
chief of Arakan police, said four empty shells from a 9mm pistol were
recovered from the crime scene.
“We’re studying lots of angles but nothing is definite as of this
time. We have yet to know the motive and the identity of the killer and
the mastermind in the killing,” Rioflorido said.
The suspect was wearing a crash helmet and made his escape by walking
away casually from the scene to a nearby motorcycle, Reovoca said.
The priest was due to attend a regular meeting of Kidapawan diocese
clergy at the house of Bishop Romulo de la Cruz in Kidapawan City today.
Report from ucanews.com
