Senator Risa Hontiveros on Tuesday, October 25 urged the government to provide greater security and protection for the family of slain radio broadcaster Percy Lapid, or Percival Mabasa.

The senator made the statement after visiting the Mabasa family on Monday, Oct. 24 as they requested. The family, Hontiveros said, personally informed her that they have been targeted with threats and harassment since the broadcaster was assassinated.

“Nangangamba ang buong pamilya ni Percy. Ang mga anak ni Percy ay pinapadalhan ng mga pambabanta sa Facebook o sa personal nilang mga cellphone numbers (Percy's whole family was afraid. Percy's children are being sent threats on Facebook or on their personal cellphone numbers),” Hontiveros said in a statement.

“May isang nakatanggap pa ng text message na sinabing siya na ang susunod (Someone even received a text message saying he was next),” the senator added.

The senator also said she is not convinced that the Percy Lapid murder case is “solved," as earlier pronounced by the Philippine National Police (PNP).

The family of Percy Lapid themselves disagree that the case is solved, she pointed out.

Percy’s brother Roy Mabasa, in an interview, said they were initially told that the middleman tagged to have helped orchestrate the killing had died of night terror/nightmare (bangungot) inside the New Bilibid Prison (NBP), but his body was already embalmed even before an autopsy was conducted.

Even pathologist Raquel Fortun questioned the procedure done on the alleged middleman saying that “embalming fluids into the body contaminates toxicology testing for substances as well as histopathology to determine if any disease or health problem caused death.”

“The circumstances surrounding the murder created more questions than answers,” Hontiveros said.

“Hindi porke’t na-identify ang mga suspect ay tapos na ang kaso. The case is far from solved. Paano nga din magiging solb na kung hanggang ngayon ay nakakatanggap ang pamilya ng pananakot (It is not because the suspects have been identified that the case is over. The case is far from solved. How can it be solved if the family has been receiving threats until now)?” Hontiveros asked.

“The mastermind behind Percy’s death is still at large, so we must do all we can to provide the greatest possible protection to the entire family,” she said.

At the same time, Hontiveros also appealed to the public not to let this case be silenced.

“Let’s not allow a brutal killing such as this to just be swept under the rug,” the senator added.

While the PNP later clarified that the case is not yet closed or solved, the lawmaker said law enforcers should be more prudent when releasing such statements.

“Declaring that a murder is solved, even when it is clearly not, only causes additional undue stress to the loved ones left behind,” Hontiveros said.

“Malalim ang sugat ng pamilya ni Percy, lalo pa at nawala ang papa nila sa napakamasalimoot na paraan. Bilang byuda, naiintindihan ko din ang sakit ng nararanasan ng kabaro kong si Lisa. Ipinagdarasal ko ang kanilang paghilom at pagkamit ng hustisya (Percy's family is deeply wounded, especially since they lost their father in a very complicated way. As a widow, I also understand the pain of what my partner Lisa is experiencing. I pray for their healing and justice),” Hontiveros stressed.