Second autopsy report showed that New Bilibid Prison (NBP) inmate Jun Globa Villamor, the alleged “middleman” in the killing of broadcast journalist Percival Mabasa, better known as Percy Lapid, may have been killed last Oct. 18, hours after the self-confessed gunman was presented to the public.
In her six-page autopsy report which contained her opinion, noted forensic pathologist Dr. Raquel B. Del Rosario-Fortun said that “based on available information regarding the circumstances surrounding the death the manner is homicide.”
With Villamor’s death, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin C. Remulla requested Fortun, chairperson of the Pathology Department of the University of the Philippines (UP), to conduct a second autopsy.
The first autopsy conducted by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) showed that Villamor had a heart hemorrhage and that there were no signs of physical injuries on the body.
The result of Fortun’s autopsy was announced during a press conference, led by Remulla, at the Department of Justice (DOJ) on Saturday, Oct. 29.
The full text of Fortun’s opinion:
“This is the case of a 42-year-old male who was an inmate incarcerated at the New Bilibid Prison when he was allegedly found unresponsive and pronounced dead at the NBP Hospital on Oct. 18, 2022. The cause of death was certified as ‘dead on arrival, undetermined, for autopsy.’
“The embalmed remains were autopsied on Oct. 20, 2022 by the National Bureau of Investigation. A second autopsy was conducted on Oct. 26, 2022.
“There is information that he expressed fear for his life shortly before his demise and that he died from suffocation by means of a plastic bag over his head.
“The autopsy findings showed no gross morphologic cause of death and this is consistent with the reported asphyxia.
“Limitations were encountered in the examination due to the post-mortem interval, the previous embalming and autopsy.
“Preliminary urine toxicology showed methamphetamine. Based on available information regarding the circumstances surrounding death, the manner is homicide.”
During a press conference, Fortun admitted that “at first I said I did not find anything, meaning he was not sick of something serious, no significant injuries also, external and internal.”
“I was about to say that there was no cause of death and the manner would be classified as what we call as undetermined,” she said.
Fortunately, Fortun said Secretary Remulla provided her with more information concerning the death of Villamor.
“So when you look at a case like this, it’s the totality of evidence,” she said.
Remulla said he had informed Fortun that, before the inmate died inside the Bilibid last Oct. 18, Villamor made a “dying declaration” through messages he sent to his sister which showed that he feared for his life and that he knows who were involved in the killing of Percy Lapid.
Also, he said he informed Fortun a Bilibid inmate has revealed to investigators that Villamor was killed by being suffocated with a plastic bag. “This is a sworn statement,” he said.
Both Remulla and Fortun assured that the findings of the doctor is not inconsistent with that of the initial results of the first autopsy conducted by the NBI.
“There is nothing inconsistent with the findings of Dr. Fortun and NBI on this matter,” Remulla said.
He pointed out that when the NBI conducted the autopsy, they have yet to receive the information on Villamor’s dying declaration and the testimony of the Bilibid inmate that he was suffocated to death.
“We came in blind not knowing anything yet,” he said.
When Fortun was asked to conduct the autopsy, Remulla said she was informed of the developments in the investigation on the case.
“Sa second autopsy report informed na po ang doctor of the possibility of foul play,” he said.
He said the second autopsy showed that Villamor had methamphetamine (locally known as shabu) which the initial NBI autopsy report did not indicate.
“Rumors na may shabu pa rin sa Bilibid ay confirmed by the fact that the person who died had shabu or methamphetamine in his system,” he stressed.
“I think it is a very important finding that was not present in the first report,” he noted.
Remulla said Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) Officer-in-Charge Gregorio Catapang Jr. will be provided with a copy of Fortun’s report so he can act on the continued narcotics trade in the Bilibid.
He also revealed plans for to have Villamor’s urine examined by a second laboratory “in case Dr. Fortun wants to search for more clues.”
At the same time, Remulla said the investigation into the deaths of Percy Lapid and Villamor is in its “last phase.” “The investigation is almost over,” he said.
“It is a matter of filing the cases and probably being able to identify the masterminds,” he pointed out.
He disclosed that there are “two persons of interest as masterminds.” But he said: “We cannot give their names now because we have to determine everything and we do not want to violate any rights of anyone.”
He assured that the names of these persons will be revealed in the complaint that will be filed by the NBI and the Philippine National Police (PNP) before the DOJ’s National Prosecution Service (NPS).
“Let them be the ones to close the theory kasi my job is to guide the investigation, to make sure that the system works, to make sure that there are no doubts how things were done in this investigation,” he added.
On threats against members of the Mabasa family, Remulla vowed to unmask them. “I will have to get their numbers and I will have the NBI do that. We have experts to trace all of these,” he said.
He said he was able to talk to Percy Lapid’s brother, veteran journalist Roy Mabasa, and learned that the DOJ’s Witness Protection Program has been coordinating with the family in providing security.
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