2 Army officers, several others charged in Italian priest’s slay

Following a reinvestigation, two military officials and several others have been charged in the Department of Justice for the 2011 murder of Italian priest Fr. Fausto “Pops” Tentorio.

The Central Mindanao office of the National Bureau of Investigation on Monday filed a murder complaint against Army Lt. Col. Joven Gonzales and Maj. Mark Espiritu, as well as members of a paramilitary group.

Also recommended for prosecution were Jimmy Ato, Robert Ato, Jan Corbala, Nene Durado, Joseph Basol, Edgar Enoc, Romulo Tapgos, William
Buenaflor, several soldiers who allegedly conducted a “bayanihan” activity at Arakan Central Elementary School on the day of Tentorio’s murder, and some members of the Bagani Special Force, a paramilitary group.

Tentorio, 59, a staunch antimining advocate, was shot 10 times inside his parish, Our Mother of Perpetual Help Parish, in Arakan town, Cotabato, on Oct. 17, 2011.

A special oversight team during the term of then President
Benigno Aquino III recommended a reinvestigation of the Tentorio murder, saying there was a lack of sufficient evidence for a conviction of the perpetrators.

A panel of state prosecutors will conduct a preliminary investigation to determine if there is probable cause to file the case before the courts.

“The complaint is for murder,” Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Peter Ong told reporters.

He said that around 30 witnesses in Arakan were “very spontaneous” with their recollection of the murder and were willing to testify.