The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), which took over the investigation on the killing of Fr. Marcelino Biliran, is hot on the trail of two male suspects linked to the priest’s murder.

The NBI started to direct the probe’s focus on the said suspects as Atty. Arcelito Albao, executive officer of NBI-Bohol, reported the case’s development to the Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC) on Thursday.

Albao also presented to the PPOC cartographic sketches of the two suspects in the killing of Biliran who was the parish priest of the St. Peter the Apostle Church in Loboc.

Biliran was found dead inside the said church’s convent on June 27, 2016.

However, the agency neither disclosed the suspects’ identities nor gave additional information so as not to jeopardize the ongoing investigation.

The NBI had previously ruled out suicide as the cause behind Biliran’s death after it conducted an autopsy on the priest’s body right before he was buried.

Following the development, Biliran’s family offered a reward of P1 million to those who would be able to give information on the whereabouts of the suspects which would lead to arrests.

Previously, Biliran was believed to have committed suicide but the initial finding was refuted after an autopsy was conducted by the NBI which took over the investigation following its discovery of foul play in the priest’s death. (Rey Tutas)