Philippine National Police (PNP) Director General Oscar Albayalde announced Monday that four suspects on the killing of Fr. Richmond Nilo are under police custody.

Albayalde said the self-confessed gunman identified as Omar Mallari was arrested in a follow-up operation in Arayat, Pampanga last June 22.

“I repeatedly said we did not stop from day one. We know that we are holding evidence which is the car and we know that from that physical evidence, we will get the owner and that led us to the arrest of the self-confessed gunman who is Omar Mallari,” he said.

Chief Superintendent Amador Corpus, Central Luzon police director ,said another suspect identified as Manuel Torres was arrested while two other suspects, Rolando Garcia and Marius Torres, have surrendered.

Corpus said according to the statement of Garcia, Manuel Torres who hired the gunman allegedly has a personal grudge against Nilo for filing a case against his nephew who was a seminarian.

“According to Rolando, Manuel Torres has a grudge against the priest because his nephew who was a seminarian was not able to become a priest because Fr. Nilo followed up the rape case against his nephew,” he said.

Corpus added that according to other suspects Manuel Torres served as the financier of the crime.

“Based on the affidavit of Omar Mallari and those who surrender, they were paid a contract price of P100,000. Based on the judicial affidavit, they were paid by Manuel Torres. He is the financier,” he said.

Despite the developments on the case, Corpus said the police will continue its investigation.

“We will continue to look for the other suspects. We have the gunman but we will continue to conduct investigation,” he said. “We are evaluating the affidavit of the surrenders and the one was arrested,” he added.

It can be recalled that Nilo was shot before he was to say mass in a chapel in Zaragoza, Nueva Ecijia last June 10. Robina Asido/DMS