MANILA, Philippines 鈥� President Ferdinand 鈥淏ongbong鈥� Marcos Jr. on Wednesday said he is not convinced that the alleged middleman behind the assassination of veteran broadcaster Percival 鈥淧ercy Lapid鈥� Mabasa has died of natural causes.
Marcos said that even though the toxicology report on the death of Cristito Villamor Pala帽a (previously identified as聽 Crisanto or Jun Villamor) came back negative for foul play, he asked authorities to dig deeper.
鈥淭he toxicology report came back. Walang lason o gamot na binigay doon sa namatay. But I鈥檓 still not satisfied that it鈥檚 natural causes,鈥� he said in a chance interview at the sidelines of the National Information and Communications Technology Summit 2022 at the Manila Hotel.
(There is no poison nor medicine given to the deceased.)
鈥淪abi ko tingnan ninyo nang mabuti because there are ways to kill a person that do not show up in the medico legal,鈥� the President added.
(I said examine it very carefully because there are ways to kill a person that do not show up in the medico legal.)
Pala帽a was earlier reported to be 鈥渄ead on arrival鈥� at the NBP hospital at 2:05 p.m. on Oct. 18, just hours after the alleged gunman to Lapid鈥檚 killing, Joel Escorial, was presented to the public in a news conference.
The initial autopsy report did not specify the cause of his death while Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) spokesperson Gabriel Chaclag insisted he died of 鈥渃ardiac arrest.鈥�
Philippine National Police chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr. said he suspected foul play might have been involved in the death of the alleged middleman, saying the timing is 鈥渜uestionable.鈥�