AsiaNews – Slips of paper with death threats were found inside the offering basket in church. This happened to a Catholic priest in the Philippines during Mass on Saturday in the parish of St Andrew in Norzagaray, Malolos. The parish priest, Fr Rollie de Leon, told AsiaNews that after Mass on 29 October, his altar servers found four envelopes in the offering basket that were heavier than usual. Unsuspecting, he opened them. “When I opened them, each had the same message that I will be the next to be killed,” said Fr de Leon, spokesperson for a human rights group.

The priest said the wording of the threat gave him to understand that the sender had already committed another murder. Fr de Leon has taken precautionary measures against possible attacks: “Receiving threats in church is different to receiving them at home”.

Residents of the area and parishioners condemned the intimidation, defining those who wrote the notes as “messengers of death”.

At the beginning of the year, Norzogaray was the scene of the murder of the protestant pastor Winnie Monteciko, killed outside his church. Anonymous sources said a band of local poachers killed the pastor, who had often denounced illegal logging in the area.

The threats levelled at Fr de Leon are likely the outcome of his work for human rights.