MANILA – It is unfair to implicate President Rodrigo Duterte in the killing of Cagayan province’s Father Mark Ventura just because of the Chief Executive’s harsh words against Catholic priests, according to Malacañang.
Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo said attributing the murder of Father Ventura last year to President Duterte was totally uncalled for and baseless “considering that the felony was committed way back in April 2018.”
Panelo added that investigations done by the police revealed that Ventura, who was killed after a Sunday mass in Gattaran, Cagayan, had liaisons with several women.
“Personal grudge was the motive as it was confirmed that the late priest supposedly had illicit affairs with at least eight women,” Panelo said, citing the information gathered by the Philippine National Police-Special Investigation Task Group.
“We wish to reiterate that the Palace has nothing to do with his death, or that his murder has something to do with his duties as a man of the cloth,” the Palace spokesperson added.
Panelo also stated that the murder of Ventura was not in any way connected with the alleged death threat against Caloocan Bishop Pablo Virgilio David, a critic of Duterte’s war on drugs.
President Duterte, who had wished death on bishops in more than one of his public speeches, recently asked the public to spare members of the clergy from harassment./PN
