Thousands expected to pay last respects to Fr. Tentorio

DAVAO CITY ,Philippines  – Thousands are expected to pay their final homage to slain priest Fr. Fausto Tentorio when his remains are laid to rest today at a burial ground inside the Bishop’s Palace compound in Barangay Balindong, Kidapawan City.

Tentorio will be buried near the grave of his slain colleague, Fr. Tullio Favali, who was gunned down by militiamen on April 11, 1985 in Tulunan, North Cotabato.

Both Tentorio and Favali were members of the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions (PIME), who were assigned and had worked for several years with their “beloved people” in Central Mindanao and other parts of the region.

Members of Tentorio’s family from Italy reportedly arrived last weekend for the funeral services for the priest, who served and had worked for peace to make lives better for Mindanaoans for 30 years.

Aside from representatives of various non-government organizations as well indigenous people’s groups in Mindanao, government officials, led by North Cotabato Gov. Emmylou Taliño, are also expected to attend the funeral services this morning.

Meanwhile, Bayan Muna Representatives Teddy Casiño and Neri Colmenares are calling for a House probe on the killing of the priest by filing House Bill 1835. The priest was allegedly killed by military agents based on the results of an independent fact-finding mission.

“The life that Fr. Pops offered to the indigenous peoples and Filipino peasants challenges the church people and the youth today. An Italian missionary never doubted to serve the Filipino masses. The church people’s active engagement in the struggle of the oppressed is the living legacy of Fr. Pops,” said the Kabataang Makabayan in a statement yesterday.

The Panalipdan! Mindanao, a network of advocates for the environment and patrimony, strongly assailed the Oct. 17 killing of Tentorio as the latest assault and brazen killing of yet another defender of the environment, indigenous peoples, and human rights.

Tentorio was said to be the 54th victim of unexplained killings and the first such victim from the Roman Catholic Church under President Aquino.

‘Pursue peace talks’

Also yesterday, Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) president Tandag, Surigao del Sur Bishop Nereo Odchimar said those responsible for the killing of Tentorio and the 19 soldiers in Basilan should be brought to justice.

In a one-page statement titled “Give Peace a Chance!“ Odchimar said that while they oppose an all-out war, he admitted that the reactions of those pushing for a full offensive against the killers of Tentorio, the soldiers and also some civilians are valid.

But the Catholic bishops said they have not given up on peaceful means to solve the peace and order problem in Mindanao.

The prelates believe that “it would be ill-advised to simply throw away the tremendous efforts that have been poured in the work of peace-building in Mindanao.”

“We affirm the general pulse of our brother bishops in Mindanao, which is to continue the peace negotiations despite these recent setbacks,” they said.

On hit list?

The military, meanwhile, is validating reports that two more foreign priests doing missionary work in Mindanao are targeted for liquidation.

“Our units on the ground are now evaluating and confirming this information as we work in close coordination with the Philippine National Police under the Joint Peace and Security Coordinating Council,“ Armed Forces spokesman Col. Arnulfo Burgos Jr. told The STAR yesterday.

Burgos said the report would help the security forces on the ground perform their operations.

“Information such as this will not be discounted and will definitely be valuable input for our security forces as they continue to fulfill their mandate,” he said.

“We will remain vigilant to ensure that our citizens are always guarded and protected, including foreigners contributing to the propagation of peace and development in our land.”

Burgos said they would continue to coordinate with all stakeholders to thwart possible violence against civilians, including missionaries and religious figures.

“We will continue to monitor developments on this information and maximize our engagements with stakeholders and interagency coordination,” he said.  – With Evelyn Macairan, Alexis Romero