CAMP OLIVAS, Pampanga — The Police Regional Office 3 (PRO3) has ordered an in-depth investigation into the killing of a retired Catholic priest in Nueva Ecija.
Fr. Marcelito Paez, 72, a resident of Barangay Baloc, Sto. Domingo town, was killed by armed suspects while driving his Toyota Innova (AAB 2391) along Jaen-Zaragosa road in Barangay Lambakin, Jaen town at about 7: 45 p.m. Monday.
Chief Supt. Amador V. Corpus, PRO3 regional director, said they would find all means to get to the bottom of the shooting incident.
“I guarantee that your police will leave no stone unturned. You can be sure of our total commitment to ensure successful resolution of the case through proper and scrupulous investigation,” Corpus said.
The PRO3 chief also solicited the support of the public in maintaining peace and order as well as the safety and security of the communities.
Fr. Paez was a former parish priest of Guimba, Nueva Ecija and the coordinator of the Rural Missionaries of the Philippines in Central Luzon at the time of his death.
In the 1980s, he was also a leader of the Central Luzon Alliance for a Sovereign Philippines, which campaigned for the removal of the US military bases in Central Luzon and other parts of the country.
He was also known to lead church service for communities and victims of human rights violations in Nueva Ecija and in Central Luzon.
The priest had likewise helped facilitate the release of political prisoner Rommel Tucay who was detained at the Nueva Ecija Provincial Jail for alleged illegal possession of explosives and firearms. (PNA)