A 37-year-old priest of the Philippine Independent Church who had supported the workers' strike at Hacienda Luisita in Luzon was shot dead by two unidentified gunmen Sunday morning, reported the Philippine Daily Inquirer website.

William Tadena, parish priest of La Paz town, suffered from multiple gunshot wounds in the head and chest and died a few minutes after being rushed to hospital. Two of his companions wereseriously wounded in the attack which took place in Barangay (village) Guevarra in La Paz town, Tarlac north of Manila.

Members of Tadena's family said Tadena had just finished celebrating a mass at the Barangay Guevarra plaza and was on his way home to Victoria town when attacked.

The Philippine Independent Church broke away from the Roman Catholic Church shortly after the Philippine revolution against Spanish colonial rule at the end of 19th century.

Its adherents are popularly known as the Aglipayans after the church's founder Gregorio Aglipay.

A lingering labor dispute in Hacienda Luisita sugarcane plant owned by the Cojuanco-Aquino family turned violent in November last year when at least seven workers were killed by police in breaking up a picket.

Xinhua