NBI on Aglipayan bishop’s slay: Simple robbery with homicide

"It is pure and simple robbery with homicide."

Thus concluded the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in its final report on the Oct. 3 killing of 69-year-old Aglipayan Bishop Alberto Ramento inside his bedroom at the Aglipayan cathedral in Tarlac City.

The NBI report corroborated earlier police findings that the case was not a "political killing" as Ramento’s followers and militant groups have claimed. Four suspects have been arrested.

With the report, Reynaldo Esmeralda, NBI deputy director for regional operations, said they have terminated their investigation into the killing of Ramento, who headed the supreme council of bishops of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente and an active human rights activist himself.

In a four-page report to Esmeralda, lawyer Florencio Canlas, chief of the NBI-Tarlac district office, recommended that the investigation be terminated.

Esmeralda said he would recommend to NBI Director Nestor Mantaring that "we support the official pronouncement of (Philippine National Police chief) Director General Oscar Calderon that it was only pure and simple robbery with homicide, and that there were no political undertones."

Ramento’s family, Aglipayan leaders and members and several militant groups have blamed the government for the killing of Ramento, who was a known critic of the Arroyo administration.

Ramento, Tarlac chairman of the human rights group Karapatan, was found lifeless inside his room on the second floor of the San Sebastian Cathedral in Tarlac City at about 7 a.m. of Oct. 3.

He sustained three stab wounds in the back and two others in the chest. A six-inch long knife was found in the compound.

On the day of his cremation, Aglipayan bishops and members clashed with Manila policemen when they were prevented to march toward Mendiola to stage an indignation rally.

"How unfortunate and much to our regret that the victim of this incident is an apostle of the church, whose purpose (was) to teach the word of God and spread the blessings and the goodness of the Lord to his fellowmen, especially to the poor," Canlas said.

The NBI and the PNP both noted that prior to the Oct. 3 robbery-killing, Ramento’s room had been burglarized twice.

They also learned that prior to the night of the killing, three of the four arrested suspects — Michael Quitalig, Michael Viado, and Raimod Perez — were reportedly spotted roaming around the plaza in front of the Aglipayan church.

The three, together with Joel Villanueva, were arrested three days after the incident.

Found in their possession were a SIM card and Ramento’s gold ring with black onyx which Perez and Villanueva allegedly sold for P1,800.

Villanueva’s mother reportedly returned the DVD player stolen from the bishop’s room and the Nokia 1100 mobile phone which Viado and Perez had sold for P1,700.

Perez reportedly admitted to the police that Viado and a companion entered the Aglipayan church while he remained outside.

However, a fingerprint lifted from Ramento’s room matched Perez’s, thus belying his claim that he merely acted as a lookout.