Law enforcement agencies have now in their custody at least six persons allegedly linked in the Oct. 3, 2022 killing of radio commentator Percival Mabasa, better known as Percy Lapid.
Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Jesus Crispin C. Remulla said on Wednesday, Oct. 26, that the six persons are now in the custody of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the Philippine National Police (PNP).
Remulla said that those in custody included inmates Christopher Bacoto and Jose Palana Villamor. He also said that the sister of Jun Globa Villamor, a person deprived of liberty (PDL) at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa City who died last Oct. 18, the day self-confessed killer of Percy Lapid, Joel S. Escorial, was presented to the public, is also in government custody.
“Baka madagdagan pa ng isa mamaya itong in custody (later today, one might be added to those already in custody), one might surface later to be included among those already in custody),” Remulla said.
Bacoto and the late Jun Villamor had been tagged by Escorial as “middlemen” in the hiring of Mabasa’s killers.
Jose Palana Villamor, on the other hand, is the cousin of Jun Villamor.
Jun Villamor’s sister Marisa (not her real name) has been placed under the DOJ’s Witness Protection Program.
Marisa revealed that before his brother Jun died last Oct. 18, he mentioned three names as involved in the Percy Lapid killing.
Escorial, in his extrajudicial confession, identified Bacoto and Crisanto Palana Villamor (who is now believed to be Jun Globa Villamor who died last Oct. 18) as the “middlemen” in the Percy Lapid killing.
He named brothers Edmon and Israel Dimaculangan, and a person identified only as “Orly” or “Orlando” as the persons who were with him when Percy Lapid was killed in Las Pinas City.
“We are waiting for them to surrender. I hope they surrender,” Remulla said about the Dimaculangan brothers and “Orly” or “Orlando.”
Meanwhile, newly designated BuCor Officer-in-Charge Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr. said he has secured the three gang members identified by Marisa based on her talk with her brother.
“Nandito sila sa loob (NBP) pero binabatanyan na sila. Bale tatlo (They are here inside NBP and they are being guarded. They are three),” said Catapang, a retired Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief of staff.
“Ang utos lang sakin isecure yung mga tao just in case na may pumunta dito na NBI or PNP na gusto mag-imbestiga (I was ordered to secure them just in case someone from the NBI or PNP comes to investigate),” he explained.
Remulla also said that Marisa has turned over to the NBI her mobile telephone she used when her brother called her before he died.
“I made sure it was in custody yesterday,” he said.
Catapang, on the other hand, said that efforts are being made to locate the mobile telephone used by Jun Globa Villamor inside the NBI in communicating with his sister.
But Catapang said that so far, no NBP inmate had noticed that Jun Globa Villamor was using a cellular telephone last Oct. 18.
On the second autopsy of Jun Globa Villamor, Remulla said that Dr. Raquel Fortun has conducted the autopsy which is expected to be finished today, Oct. 26.
“We’re hoping that everything is worked out properly. If there are doubts to be elicited let them come out. We are not allowing anything to cover for the importuning of people who may not have the best motives,” Remulla pointed out.
At the same time, he said that NBI and the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) are also looking into the bank accounts of persons involved in the transfer of P550,000 which was revealed by Escorial as their reward for the killing of Percy Lapid.
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