UCCP Pastor shot dead in the town of Abuyog, Leyte, Eastern Visayas, Philippines

At around 7:00 in the morning of 23 January 2008, Pastor Filomino Catambis was on his way home to the town of Abuyog, Leyte on board his motorcycle from his chapel in Mahaplag. As he was traveling along the road in Sitio Catugan in Brgy. Balucawe, two men on board a motorcycle overtook him and shot him several times with a 9mm pistol. Police recovered 9 empty shells at the crime scene. He was brought to a local hospital in the area but was pronounced dead-on-arrival. He sustained nine gunshot wounds.

Filomino was an ordained pastor of the Northeastern Leyte Conference (NELCON) of the UCCP.

At around 7:00 in the morning of 23 January 2008, Pastor Filomino Catambis was on his way home to the town of Abuyog, Leyte on board his motorcycle from his chapel in Mahaplag. As he was traveling along the road in Sitio Catugan in Brgy. Balucawe, two men on board a motorcycle overtook him and shot him several times with a 9mm pistol. Police recovered 9 empty shells at the crime scene. He was brought to a local hospital in the area but was pronounced dead-on-arrival. He sustained nine gunshot wounds.

Filomino was an ordained pastor of the Northeastern Leyte Conference (NELCON) of the UCCP.

UCCP is a church that envisioned a responsible, empowered, self-reliant and caring community of Christian believers committed to the pursuit of a transformed church and society towards an abundant and meaningful life for all. It aims to enrich the lifework of the communities where the local churches are located and to deepen the impact of its collective response to societal and national issues.

Pastor Filomino Catambis was the second pastor of the NELCON killed by alleged military agents. On 13 May 2005, Rev. Edison Lapuz, the Conference Minister of NELCON was shot to death in public by two men near his residence in Brgy. Crossing, San Isidro, Leyte.

UCCP is set to conduct a fact finding mission in Leyte in the first week of February.