Percival Mabasa, who was popularly known as Percy Lapid, was killed in an ambush in Las Pi帽as on Monday night, October 3, 2022. Photo from his Facebook page
The government will name the accused in the murder of broadcaster Percival 鈥淧ercy Lapid鈥� Mabasa when it files charges against them on Monday.
In an interview with reporters, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said the National Bureau of Investigation and the Philippine National Police 鈥渁re talking between themselves about the cases they鈥檙e filing, because they鈥檙e filing more cases on Monday.鈥�
鈥淲e鈥檙e trying to close everything as early as we can, but there are two to three people that we still want to talk to just to be thorough about it,鈥� he said.
The justice chief noted the 鈥渢wo cases鈥� arising from the Oct. 3 killing of Mabasa鈥攖he journalist鈥檚 slay itself鈥攁nd 鈥渢he Villamor case.鈥�
He was referring to the death, under controversial circumstances, of New Bilibid Prison (NBP) inmate Cristito 鈥淛un Villamor鈥� Pala帽a, an alleged middleman who acted on behalf of the mastermind in Mabasa鈥檚 murder.
鈥淸But] it鈥檚 more 鈥� the Percy Lapid case that we鈥檙e sorting out now,鈥� Remulla said.
鈥淟et the NBI and the PNP name the people that they want to charge before the courts. My job is to make sure the process works,鈥� he added.
Last week, Remulla said it was 鈥渧ery possible鈥� that the mastermind behind the assassination of the broadcaster was already identified during the investigation of about 160 persons of interest, including suspended Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) Director General Gerald Bantag.
鈥楾补苍诲补鈥�
But according to Mabasa鈥檚 younger brother Roy, at least one more BuCor official, besides Bantag, could be behind the killing.
鈥淲e have seen the testimonies of the inmates, and all of them point to certain BuCor officials [behind that crime],鈥� Roy Mabasa, also a journalist, said in an interview with ANC on Friday.
He said inmates from NBP currently held by the NBI specifically mentioned Bantag, whom they called 鈥淭anda (elder).鈥�
Roy said another BuCor official was 鈥渄irectly giving orders to the inmates,鈥� but he did not name that person.
The prisoners themselves also referred to 鈥淭anda鈥� in a recent TV interview, alleging that he and other BuCor officials ordered them to raise at least half a million pesos for the hit job.
The NBI currently has in its custody 13 NBP prisoners tagged as persons of interest. The Department of Justice (DOJ) said the inmates had expressed concern for their safety and had asked to remain on the bureau鈥檚 watch.
In a recent interview, one of the inmates said they 鈥渨ere all afraid because among those who were involved were higher-ups.鈥�
Keep an eye
The Inquirer tried to reach Bantag but he had yet to respond, as of this reporting.
In an earlier online interview, he denied any involvement in the murder, saying: 鈥淲ill I allow myself to be imprisoned? Just kill me if they say that I am their target. We will just end up trying to kill each other.鈥�
Roy said he had asked the NBI to keep an eye on Bantag.
鈥淲e are afraid that he might go out of the country. But they told me that he鈥檚 still here,鈥� the journalist said.
President Marcos ordered Bantag鈥檚 suspension on Oct. 21, following the disclosure of Pala帽a鈥檚 sudden demise.
Pala帽a died on Oct. 18 just hours after confessed gunman Joel Escorial tagged him, identifying him by name, as the 鈥渕iddleman鈥� when he was presented by the police to the media.
On Oct. 30, forensic pathologist Raquel Fortun said at a media briefing, accompanied by Remulla, that Pala帽a died of suffocation, which indicated that 鈥渢he manner [of his death was] homicide.鈥� She suggested further that a plastic bag may have been wrapped around his head.
This contradicted an earlier finding by the BuCor that there were 鈥渘o signs of foul play鈥� in Pala帽a鈥檚 death.
Second middleman
Meanwhile, the Department of Justice (DOJ) on Friday continued its preliminary investigation, which lawyer Salvador Quimpo attended on behalf of his client, inmate Christopher Bacoto, the other middleman tagged by Escorial.
The confessed gunman was also at that hearing but made no further testimony.
Quimpo said Bacoto鈥攚ho is on trial for drug possession and trafficking, frustrated homicide and murder鈥攃ould not have been involved in Mabasa鈥檚 killing.
鈥淗e has been in prison in a high security detention facility for the last two years, so how can he [be an accomplice]? How can he recruit?鈥� the lawyer said, adding that Bacoto 鈥渄oesn鈥檛 know鈥� the other suspects.
Bacoto, who is detained at the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology鈥檚 headquarters in Quezon City, was given until Nov. 11 to submit a formal reply to the DOJ.