Philippine police have arrested a suspect in the murder of an Italian priest who had spent decades working with tribal communities in the violence-torn southern island of Mindanao.
The Philippine man in custody, Jimmy Ato, was arrested in Kulaman Valley in Mindanao province, regional police director Felicisimo Khu said.
Father Fausto Tentorio, 59, was shot dead in October in Mindanao, where government forces have long been battling Islamist and communist insurgencies.
"The arrested person was allegedly involved in the killing of Father Tentorio," Khu said, adding that his arrest came from a witness tip-off, but declining to give further details.
Tentorio was shot eight times by a lone attacker inside his parish compound, according to police.
Tentorio's colleagues and supporters believe the motive for the killing could have been the priest's work in helping disadvantaged local tribespeople in his parish to fight for their ancestral lands and basic human rights.
The missionary was the third member of the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions to have been killed since 1985 on Mindanao.
