Another “person of interest” in the killing of radio commentator Percival Mabasa, better known as Percy Lapid, has been placed in the custody of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).
“We are hoping he can give relevant info on the case as well,” said Department of Justice (DOJ) Assistant Secretary Jose Dominic F. Clavano IV said on Friday, Oct. 28.
Turned over to the NBI last Thursday, Oct. 27, was a person deprived of liberty (PDL) at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa City but has been detained at the facility of the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP), said Clavano who did not identify the inmate.
Aside from the newly transferred PDL, the NBI has in its custody four other “persons in interest” in the Percy Lapid killing.
One of the four is the sister of Jun Globa Villamor, a detainee at the NBP who died hours after Percy Lapid’s self-confessed killer, Joel S. Escorial, was presented to the media last Oct. 18.
Villamor was identified by Escorial as the NBP detainee who hired him to kill Percy Lapid for P550,000 reward. Escorial said he got his P140,000 share in the reward after the killing and the money was transferred to his bank account.
Marisa (not her real name) said his brother Jun sent her text messages and disclosed he feared for his life. She also said that her brother named at least three accomplices in the Percy Lapid killing.
Marisa has been placed under the government’s Witness Protection Program and the cellular phone she used when her brother sent her messages is now being examined by the NBI.
The cellular phone reportedly used by the late Villamor in texting his sister has not been located. But Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin C. Remulla said the transactions in the cellular phone can be traced.
Even the trail of the reward money from the depositor to the receiver could be traced, he said.
TAGS: #DOJ #Remulla #Percy Lapid