The parish priest of a village in Gattaran town in Cagayan province was shot dead, moments after the priest officiated Sunday morning Mass, according to a police report. Mark Anthony Ventura of the San Isidro Labrador Mission Station, had just concluded Mass at the village gymnasium in Barangay (village) Piña Weste at 8:15 a.m. when the gunman emerged from the back entrance and shot the priest twice. Ventura was meeting choir members before he was scheduled to officiate in a baptism when he was gunned down. Warren Tolito, Cagayan police director, said Ventura died on the spot. After the shooting, the suspect, who was wearing a helmet, ran towards the road, and sped off in a waiting motorcycle driven by another helmeted man.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer April 29, 2018 07:18 UTC