Fr. Fausto Tentorio
The Department of Justice (DOJ) has ordered the filing of a new murder complaint against two military officers and several others, including two Manobo tribesmen identified with North Cotabato Rep. Nancy Catamco, for the killing of Italian missionary Fausto Tentorio six years ago.
Describing it as 鈥減lain and simple murder,鈥� Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Peter Ong on Wednesday said Tentorio鈥檚 supposed affiliation with leftist groups was 鈥渘ot important鈥� in the reinvestigation they conducted into the Oct. 17, 2011, killing of the Italian Catholic priest.
Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II had earlier issued Department Order No. 208 directing Ong to revisit the case after the indictment of several persons implicated in the killing was stalled.
鈥淲e hope we have somehow partly given justice to Father Tentorio,鈥� Ong told reporters.
Lone assassin
He said at least 20 soldiers belonging to the Army鈥檚 57th Infantry Battalion based in Makilala town, North Cotabato province, took part in planning the killing of Tentorio, who was gunned down by a lone assassin inside the compound of Our Mother of Perpetual Help Parish in Arakan.
The communist New People鈥檚 Army (NPA) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front had previously supported the claims of residents and local church workers that the military had orchestrated Tentorio鈥檚 murder.
鈥淵ou have no reason to kill a person who is not a combatant. It is plain murder,鈥� Ong stressed. 鈥淭here鈥檚 no politics (in his killing). It has nothing to do with the NPA. It鈥檚 simple murder.鈥�
Recommended to be charged were Army Lt. Col. Joven Gonzales, Major Mark Espiritu, Jimmy Ato, his brother Robert Ato, Jan Corbala, Nene Durado, Kaing Labi, Joseph Basol, Edgar Enoc, Romulo Tapgos, William Buenaflor and a certain alias Katong.
The Ato brothers were said to be members of a paramilitary group called 鈥淏agani.鈥� Catamco had earlier admitted that she had provided them with a lawyer.
The new complaint, however, will still have to go through a regular preliminary investigation, Ong clarified.