Ilocos Sur clergymen hit political murders

By Freddie Lazaro

VIGAN CITY — All members of the clergy in the Archdiocese of Nueva Segovia condemned the recent killings of two candidates for councilor in Ilocos Sur this May elections.

A statement issued by Most Reverend Ernesto Salgado, Archbishop of Nueva Segovia in Vigan City, said the killings were acts of brutality and abuse of power and authority.

The statement was simultaneously read during Mass celebrated in all churches in the diocese last Sunday.

“Killings, cruelty and threatening the people to win power are against God’s laws. This will showcase the invaluability of life, a gift from God, and the disrespect to people’s life,” the statement said.

“We were deeply saddened when we learned recently that two of our brothers, who were both candidates for councilor in their town, namely Artemio Tugade of Sta. Maria, Ilocos Sur and Cecilio Tolentino of Magsingal, Ilocos Sur, were brutally killed by still unidentified suspects,” the staement added.

Tugade was shot and killed in a daylight ambush in Barangay Poblacion Norte, Sta. Maria town last January 6 while Tolentino was also shot in broad daylight in front of his house in Barangay San Vicente, Magsingal town last Jan. 28.

The priests appealed to law enforcement agencies to conduct impartial investigations to give justice to Tugade and Tolentino and to put the masterminds behind bars.