BACOLOD City – A Roman Catholic priest was found dead at the San Lorenzo Ruiz Quasi Parish Church in Purok Mahimulaton, Barangay Mabini, Cadiz City, Negros Occidental.
It was not immediately clear what killed Reverend Father Jerry Atil, a 58-year-old native of Barangay Tutay, Toledo City, Cebu.
Investigators learned from locals that Atil was taking maintenance medicine for hypertension daily and had a stroke twice, said Chief Inspector Rocky Desear, Cadiz police head.
According to church caretaker Johnrey Amad, Atil complained of feeling ill and vomited on Tuesday evening, police said.
The priest was found dead at around 7 a.m. Wednesday.
His body will not be subject to postmortem examination – Monsignor Eugene S. Peral of the Diocese of San Carlos signed a certificate of identification and refusal for autopsy – police said.
The body was taken to the Cadiz City Emergency Clinic instead.
All the police’s Scene of the Crime Operatives did was an ocular investigation.
Atil’s remains currently lie in state at the St. Peter’s Funeral Homes in Purok Zaragoza, Barangay Tinampa-an, Cadiz City./PN
