Slain priest a ‘victim and a martyr’

The retired priest who was shot dead in Nueva Ecija last Dec. 4 might have been killed because his gunmen thought he was still with the farmer activist he had earlier helped out of jail.

Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines president and Davao Archbishop Romulo Valles aired the view as he called on the authorities to step up the probe of the killing of retired priest Marcelito “Tito” Paez.

“No, Fr. Tito wasn’t just a victim. He should be counted among our martyrs. Victims have no choice with their fate, martyrs do,” Valles said.

Paez, 72, was slain by motorcycle-riding assailants as he was driving in Jaen town on Dec. 4.

Valles noted that the gunmen might had been after the prisoner who was freed with Paez’s help, as the assailants probably thought that the prisoner was still with the priest. —JULIE M. AURELIO