Philippines: The Priest Who Killed 57 Parishioners

Foul Play: A Historical True Crime Podcast

Shane L. Waters, Wendy Cee, Gemma Hoskins

History, True Crime, Society & Culture

4.5 • 992 Ratings

🗓️ 11 November 2025

⏱️ 35 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In 1826, a chilling discovery marred the serene backdrop of a Philippine parish. Father Juan Severino Mallari... The trusted priest of quiet parish life horrified his community. Allegations of murder, cloaked in piety and blood-soaked garb, astonished parishioners in 1826 after dozens of missing individuals were linked back to him. Father Juan Severino Mallari's dual life exploded into one of the most chilling tales of Philippine criminal history. Foul Play Season 36 uncovers global tales of historic crime in its quest for dark truths. Episode 7 ventures into the labyrinth of false piety and betrayal during a tumultuous period in Philippine history. Mallari, before his grim unveiling, was cherished for his calming influence and administrative acumen. Born to a world steeped in faith, he expressed compassion and dedication to his flock. Yet a darker side simmered beneath, belying the trust and reverence his position commanded. His betrayal went beyond the shocking number of victims; it was an affront against an unsuspecting community, eroding the sacred trust usually reposed in religious guardians. The reverberations of Father Mallari's crimes seeded long-lasting distrust in clerical institutions, permanently altering religious landscapes. Detectives of the time, grappling with rudimentary investigative tools, found themselves piecing together fragmented parishioner testimonies and material evidence pointing to chilling conclusions. The cache of bloodstained clothing and stifled whispers about vanished village members painted a damning picture. During the early 1800s, the Philippines was a colony under Spanish rule, marked by rigid social structures and ecclesiastical dominance. In such an atmosphere, Mallari's transgressions sowed discord, challenging ecclesiastical and imperial authority and heralding changes in public consciousness. Tune into this episode to explore the sinister secrets behind cloistered walls, with a narrative enriched by authentic accounts and historical accuracy. Unmask the twisted reality behind a revered facade where justice, however belated, sought to restore balance. --- Support Foul Play: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/foulplaypodcast Website: https://www.mythsandmalice.com/show/foul-play/ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/foul-play-crime-series/id1525832703 Follow us: Instagram: @foulplaycrimeseries Twitter: @foulplaypod

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Magalong Pampanga, Spanish Colonial Philippines.
0:10.0	The year is 1826.
0:13.0	The parish house of San Bartolome Church sits quiet under tropical heat.
0:19.0	The air is thick with humidity. The kind that makes everything stick to your skin.
0:26.1	Inside, Father Juan Severino Malari lies ill, feverish, weak, unable to perform his priestly
0:34.6	duties.
0:36.9	Fellow priests have come from neighboring parishes to care for their brother and faith.
0:42.3	An act of Christian charity, they tend to him, pray over him, prepare his meals.
0:50.3	They search his residence for clean bedding, for medicine, for anything that might ease his suffering.
0:57.0	And that's when one of them finds it.
1:02.0	Blood-stained clothing, folded neatly, stiffened with dried blood, yet arranged with disturbing care.
1:11.6	The clothing doesn't belong to Father Malory.
1:15.6	Personal items.
1:16.6	A shirt, a shawl, a small purse, all bearing blood that shouldn't be there.
1:24.6	Items that look like they belong to parishioners, people from the community, people who came to Mass and confession and asked for blessings.
1:33.3	One priest calls the others.
1:36.3	They search further.
1:38.3	More items.
1:41.3	More blood.
1:42.3	Belongings of people they recognize.
1:46.0	People who set out for errands months ago and never came home.
1:51.0	Items that have no business being in their fellow priests' residents.
	...

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