Cebu City – Cebu Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal on Teusday urged police to speed up its investigation into the killing of a Catholic priest by robbers who were after the victim’s mobile phone Monday night in Talisay City, Cebu which the prelate strongly condemned.

Archdiocese Media Liaison Officer Msgr. Achilles Dakay said Vidal, who is in Manila for the Catholic Bishops Conference meeting, expressed disgust after being informed that robbers shot dead Fr. Jovencio Rabusa, the 46-year-old assistant parish priest of Naga town.

Vidal also called on the friends and relatives of Rabusa to pray for the immediate resolution of the case. The priest was walking along the South Road Properties in Barangay Cansojong, Talisay City past 8 p.m. on Monday when he was blocked by still unidentified assailants. The robbers shot the priest thrice when he refused to hand over his two old mobile phones, said Talisay Police Chief Henry Biñas.

Biñas said the priest was with an unidentified companion before he was shot in a dark area about 300 meters away from a gasoline station. The companion, however, told police it was the first time he saw the priest and only talked to him because they were walking on the same road.