Priest killer slain in Kalinga

MANILA, Philippines -  The Indonesian priest who was shot dead while about to officiate a Mass in Kalinga two years ago finally got justice when policemen shot dead the prime suspect in his killing Sunday.

Nestor Wailan refused the call of elements of the Cordillera police to surrender and instead choose to engage them in a shootout in Sitio Malu­song Barangay Canao in Lubuagan town at midnight Sunday.

When the smoke of the battle cleared, Wailan lay on the ground dead due to multiple gunshot wounds in different parts of the body.

Wailan yielded an Armalite rifle.

Cordillera police director Chief Superintendent Eugene Martin said his men arrested Wailan’s 17-year-old student companion who was immediately turned over to the custody of the local Department of Social Welfare and Development.

Martin said Wailan and his companions, Nestor Awingan and Acmor Bonggawon shot dead Indonesian priest Fr. Franciscus Madhu who was about to officiate a mass at St. Paul and Peter Parish Church in Lubuagan on April 1, 2007.

 Judge Marcelino Wacas of the Kalinga Regional Trial Court Branch 25 issued a warrant of arrest against the trio on June 21, 2007.

Bonggawon escaped from his detention at the Kalinga police headquarters but was rearrested by the Regional Mobile Group (RMG) in Tabuk City on Aug. 8, 2007.

Martin said Wacas acquitted Bonggawon on Dec. 23, 2008 because of the failure of witnesses to appear in court.

The Cordillera police chief reactivated Task Group Madhu and recommended a P90,000 reward for the capture of Wailan and Awingan.

Martin directed Senior Superintendent Alex Pumecha, Cordillera police intelligence chief to conduct a massive manhunt against the suspects in the region.                

Pumecha said they raided several areas in the Cordilleras but failed to arrest the suspects.    – Non Alquitran