Rights groups still seek justice 8 years after slay of missionary priest

SAN FERNANDO, PAMPANGA — Human rights advocates and church groups on Thursday marked the eighth year since the assassination of Fr. Marcelito “Tito” Paez, urging authorities to finally hold accountable those behind the killing of the missionary priest on December 4, 2017.

Paez, a longtime missionary and former coordinator of the Rural Missionaries of the Philippines–Central Luzon, was shot dead in Nueva Ecija just hours after assisting in the release of a political prisoner. Rights groups said his final act of service reflected his decades-long commitment to farmers, workers, and indigenous communities across the region.

In a statement, regional people’s organizations described Paez as a “martyr who chose the side of the poor,” noting that he had been active in campaigns defending land rights, national sovereignty, and human rights long before such advocacy was considered safe or mainstream.

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has since recognized Paez as one of the country’s contemporary martyrs. Church leaders previously stressed that he must not be remembered merely as another victim of extrajudicial killing, but as someone who offered his life in service of the oppressed.

Eight years after his death, no suspects have been arrested or charged. “Not the triggermen, not the masterminds, not those who created the climate that made the killing of a priest possible,” the statement read.

Rights advocates said the same conditions that led to Paez’s killing persist across Central Luzon—continuing arrests of political activists, unresolved cases of enforced disappearances, and threats and red-tagging against farmers, cultural workers, organizers, and other community leaders.

As the International Criminal Court (ICC) continues to pursue its investigation into alleged crimes tied to the Duterte administration’s drug war, Paez’s case has been cited as a symbol of a broader pattern of impunity.

“Fr. Tito’s life remains a testament to courage rooted in faith and solidarity…We call on all freedom-loving Filipinos to continue his mission,” the statement said.

Groups reiterated their call for accountability and urged the public to honor Paez’s memory not with silence but with action. 

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