CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – The Cagayan de Oro Press Club (COPC) condemned the killing of hard-hitting radio commentator Percival Mabasa, also known as Percy Lapid, on Monday, Oct. 3.
COPC, in a statement on Wednesday, Oct. 5, expressed hope that the two gunmen and mastermind will be identified and arrested through an intensive investigation by the Philippine National Police (PNP).
The COPC urged President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to act on their call for an executive order to continue the functions of the Presidential Task Force on Media Security.
“This is not to harm the representatives from the media as easily as the killing of Percy Lapid,” the COPC said.
The PNP Northern Mindanao Press Corps also condemned the killing, calling it an attack on the right to freedom of expression.
“The murder of Percy is an attack on the right to freedom of expression. We urge the authorities to solve the brutal killing as soon as possible and put the perpetrators behind bars,” said Michael Bustamante, PNP-10 Press Corps president on Wednesday.
Lapid was known for his criticisms against high-ranking government officials.
In the last episode of his radio program on DWBL 1242 on Friday, Sept. 30, Lapid discussed red tagging, as well as issues under the Duterte and Marcos Jr. administrations.
Lapid is the second journalist to be killed under the Marcos Jr. administration. The first was radio broadcaster Rey Blanco, who was stabbed to death in Mabinay, Negros Oriental on Sept. 18.