Southern Police District Director Brig. Gen. Kirby John Brion Kraft said the second middleman in the killing of veteran journalist Percival Mabasa alias Percy Lapid has been identified and is found to be safe inside a Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) facility.
Kraft said the second middleman, an inmate at the BJMP, has not been convicted.
He said the self-confessed gunman, Joel S. Escorial, identified six individuals believed to be behind Lapid's killing, including the two middlemen who allegedly contacted them to kill Lapid.
The SPD chief said the second middleman inside the BJMP is "secured."
Kraft said the police immediately secured the second middleman following the death of Crisanto Villamor at the hospital of the New Bilibid Prison (NBP).
He said a coordination was made with the BJMP to secure the second middleman.
The SPD chief said two of the suspects whom Escorial identified, brothers Edmon and Israel Dimaculangan, both residents of Las Piñas, acted as lookouts, while a certain “Orly/Orlando” drove the get-away motorcycle after completing the job.
The brother of the slain veteran journalist, Roy Mabasa , expressed dismay over the death of Villamor.
Mabasa said based on the confession of Escorial, he already knew that there were two middlemen involved in the killing of Lapid.
He said Villamor was the one who got in the touch with the gun-for-hire on behalf of the mastermind.
Mabasa said the other middleman distributed the P550,00 payment which was deposited to the BDO account of Escorial in tranches starting Oct. 4, the day after Lapid's killing.