MANILA, Philippines — Investigators looking into the case of a Cavite-based priest who was found tied in his vehicle still have no lead on what transpired when he was missing, as police officers await his family’s clearance for an interview.
Philippine National Police (PNP) spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo admitted this on Tuesday and assured the public that local police are doing everything to backtrack how Rev. Fr. Leoben Peregrino, the parish priest of a church in Rosario, Cavite, ended up in Silang, Cavite.
As of now, Peregrino’s family has declined any interviews to allow him to recuperate and recover from his trauma. At the same time, the family is also awaiting the decision of the diocese where Peregrino belongs.
“Sa ngayon po nag-aantay pa rin tayo ng clearance ng pamilya para makausap po natin si Father dahil nakiusap po ang pamilya ng kaunting panahon para makapag-pahinga, and they requested privacy,” Fajardo told ABS-CBN Teleradyo’s Sakto.
(As of now we are awaiting clearance from the family to talk with Father because the family requested some time for the victim to rest, and they also requested privacy.)
“According to them po ay iniintay po nila na sila ay payagan po ng diocese na kung saan po kaanib si Father para po mabigyan po ang ating kapulisan ng pagkakataon na ma-interview po si Father,” she added.
(According to them, they are also awaiting clearance from the diocese, for them to be allowed to do interviews so that the police officers will be given the chance to talk to the priest.)
According to Fajardo, the investigation is still limited to the closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage that showed Peregrino traveling to Silang.
“Maliban doon sa mga ini-report at statement no’ng mga naka-kita sa kanyang mga barangay officials sa Silang, limited pa rin po doon. However, ‘yong ating kapulisan sa Rosario ay patuloy po nagba-backtrack ng mga CCTV dahil nga po no’ng maireport sa kanila ‘yoon ng April 2 ay nagsimula na po silang mag-backtrack at may nakikita na po silang mga detalye sa ibang mga CCTV,” she said.
(Aside from reports and the statements of those who saw the priest, including barangay officials from Silang, we are still limited to that information. However, our local police in Rosario continues to backtrack the CCTV footage since it was reported to them last April 2, and they have seen some details from other CCTV cameras.)
Peregrino was reported missing last Saturday and was found unconscious and tied inside his vehicle on Sunday. Fajardo said that none of the priest’s belongings were missing.
“So far naman po ay wala naman pong naireport na may nawawala sa kagamitan ni Father, and in fact when he was found the following day nga po no’ng siya ay naireport na nawawala ay except na mahina po siya at parang tulala po ay wala naman pong mga visible injuries na nakita sa kanya no’ng siya ay nakita,” she said.
(So far there has been no report of any missing items, and in fact when he was found the following day the only reports we had were about him being weak and dazed. There were no visible injuries on him when he was found.)
“We are hoping na siguro exhausted lang po si Father at hopefully nga malaking bagay po na mapagbibigyan tayo na makausap pa siya,” she added.
(We are hoping that the priest is only exhausted and hopefully, police get a chance to talk to him because it would be very important.)
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