Juan Severino Mallari

Juan Severino Mallari
Born(1785-09-22)September 22, 1785
San Nicolas, Pampanga, Captaincy General of the Philippines, Spanish Empire
Died1840 (aged 54–55)
Manila, Captaincy General of the Philippines, Spanish Empire
Cause of deathExecution by hanging
OccupationCatholic priest
Criminal statusExecuted
MotiveTo dispel an alleged curse on his ailing mother
Details
Victims57 (as confessed)
Span of crimes
1816–1826
Location(s)Pampanga, Captaincy General of the Philippines
WeaponsKnife

Juan Severino Mallari (September 22, 1785 – 1840) was a Filipino Catholic priest and serial killer. He is the first documented serial killer from the Philippines. During the Spanish colonial period, Mallari served as a parish priest in Magalang, Pampanga. He reportedly killed 57 people in the area[1] before he was discovered, arrested, imprisoned and hanged in 1840.[2]

Early life and career

Mallari was from San Nicolas, Pampanga (present-day Macabebe, Pampanga). He studied theology at the University of Santo Tomas[3] and completed his studies in 1809, after which he was ordained and became the coadjutor in Gapan, Lubao, and Bacolor. He then vied for the position of parish priest in several areas, namely Orani, Mariveles, Lubao and in the Port of Cavite as a chaplain, but was consistently rejected.[4]

During this period, Mallari also pursued calligraphy, earning him the recognition of being the second Filipino calligraphic artist-priest, after Fr. Mariano Hipolito.[4] As a parish priest, he was known for decorating annual reports with flowers, vines and angels on clouds.[5]

Murders

Mallari served as the parish priest of Magalang, Pampanga based in the San Bartolome Church from 1816 to 1826, becoming the first Filipino to become a parish priest in the province.[5] It was during this period that he started believing his mother was cursed, which became his motive for killing. He believed killing people could cure his mother's ailments.[6] It is also plausible that around this time, Mallari's peers noticed signs of the priest's mental instability.[2]

Mallari was attributed with the deaths of at least 57 people during that time. The bodies of the victims were found in different areas, which prevented authorities from finding a motive or connection to the murders.[5]

Discovery, imprisonment and execution

Mallari contracted an unknown illness sometime in 1826, which led to an attending priest who looked after Mallari[3] finding the blood-stained[5] personal belongings of his victims in his home.[1] After his involvement in the murders was revealed, Mallari was imprisoned for 14 years. However, Dr. Luciano Santiago argued the priest should have been sent to the first mental health institution in the Philippines instead.[7] Santiago might have been referring to either Hospicio de San Jose or San Lazaro Hospital.[8]

In 1840, the Spanish colonial government executed Mallari by hanging.[4]

A re-imagined version of Mallari was portrayed by Piolo Pascual in the 2023 film Mallari.[9] Meanwhile, a television series Severino starring Dennis Trillo as Mallari by a co-production of studios from the Philippines, Japan, Singapore and Slovenia is slated for a 2025 release.[10][11]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Lasin, Gelo (2019-02-04). "TIL: The first-ever Filipino serial killer is a Catholic priest". We The Pvblic. Retrieved 2020-11-14.
  2. ^ a b de Guzman, Nicai (February 8, 2019). "28 August 2021". Esquiremag.ph. Retrieved 2020-11-14.
  3. ^ a b "Pinoy October Crimetime: The First Documented Filipino Serial Killer was a Priest". uDOu PH. 2020-10-16. Retrieved 2020-11-14.
  4. ^ a b c "Peanut Gallery: Magalang's serial-killer priest". PEANUT GALLERY. 2010-11-23. Retrieved 2020-11-16.
  5. ^ a b c d Marasigan, Teresa (28 August 2021). "Victim or Villain? The Untold Story of the Priest Who Became the First Filipino Serial Killer". Esquiremag.ph. Retrieved 26 December 2023.
  6. ^ Torres, Margaux (2016-07-31). "Top 6 Philippines Catholic Church Horror Stories". Kami.com.ph. Retrieved 2020-11-14.
  7. ^ Santiago, Luciano (2002). Laying the Foundations: Kapampangan Pioneers in the Philippine Church, 1592-2001. Juan D. Nepomuceno Center for Kapampangan Studies, Holy Angel University. ISBN 978-971-92417-1-3.
  8. ^ Tecson, Miguel (April 1967). "Traditional Magic and Medicine, and the History of Modern Psychiatry in the Philippines". Canadian Psychiatric Association Journal. 12 (2): 223–225. doi:10.1177/070674376701200221. ISSN 0008-4824. S2CID 79945706.
  9. ^ "Piolo Pascual plays a serial killer-priest in the new film 'Mallari'". ABS-CBN. April 28, 2023.
  10. ^ "Dennis Trillo to star in international series 'Severino'". GMA News. May 25, 2023.
  11. ^ Mendoza, Ruel (11 November 2024). "Isang Himala producers "hopeful" amid strong competition in MMFF 2024". PEP.ph (in Filipino). Philippine Entertainment Portal, Inc. Retrieved 14 November 2024.

Further reading

  • L. Santiago. Laying the Foundations: Kampampangan Pioneers in the Catholic Church, 1592-2001, Juan D. Nepomuceno Center for Kapampangan Studies, Holy Angel University, 2002. ISBN 978-971-92417-1-3