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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Percy Lapid case is far from solved, ex-senator Drilon says

Percy Lapid case is far from solved, ex-senator Drilon says

Published Oct 24, 2022 02:24 pm

Former Senator Franklin M. Drilon said the Percy Lapid case is far from solved and the case still “stands on thin ice” without any evidence that could corroborate the testimony of the self-confessed gunman.

The former Department of Justice (DOJ) secretary also said that there is no need for a Senate investigation at this point as he appealed to his former colleagues to let the Philippine National Police (PNP) do its work.

“The prosecution must validate the confessions of self-confessed gunman Joel Escorial with corroborative evidence. This is crucial because the case cannot stand on the testimony alone of the gunman. The case for the prosecution still stands on thin ice,” Drilon said in an interview with ANC’s Headstart today (Oct. 24)..

In a separate statement, Drilon, who successfully prosecuted a number of high-profile and gruesome murder cases in the 90s, said “the death of the middleman, a few days after self-confessed gunman Escorial named him in his extra-judicial affidavit, is suspicious and disturbing evidence of a wider conspiracy.”

“Who is the mastermind? Is there a wider conspiracy?” the former Senate president asked.

“Who ordered the middleman to kill Percy Lapid? This has to be established and the mastermind be brought to justice before we can say that it is a closed case,” he added.

Drilon, thus, urged the PNP to go deeper in unmasking the brain behind the murder of Percy Lapid.

Percy is the brother of former Manila Bulletin staffer Roy Lapid Mabasa.

As former justice secretary, Drilon prosecuted a number of high-profile crimes from the ‘90s that are still talked about today such as the “chop-chop lady,” “Sarmenta rape case,” “the Hultman-Champan” murder case, and the murder of Bernabe and Castanos, among others.

Drilon said that the prosecution should not rely solely on the testimony of Escorial as he raised the danger of Escorial recanting his testimony.

“Suppose he recants, what happens? The prosecution’s case will fall into pieces. The narration of the gunman therefore must be viewed with caution,” Drilon said as he underscored the need for the police and the prosecution to gather evidence that could corroborate the gunman’s statement.

Meanwhile, Drilon believes that there is no need for a Senate investigation at this point.

“I appeal to my former colleagues to let the PNP do their job. I do not know what a Senate investigation can do at this point. Let’s allow the police to finish the investigation. I am not yet convinced that the PNP is not doing its job, but it has to do more,” Drilon said.

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