Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin C. Remulla on Saturday, Nov. 5, disclosed that the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) has confirmed the deposits of P550,000 to the bank account of Joel S. Escorial, the self-confessed gunman of radio commentator Percival Mabasa, better known as Percy Lapid.
In his affidavit, Escorial said that he and his group were promised P550,000 for the killing of Percy Lapid and the money was deposited to his bank account.
Escorial also confessed that he shot Percy Lapid three times last Oct. 3 in Las Pinas City. He also named his co-conspirators and a “middleman” who was then detained at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa City.
The “middleman,” turned out to be Jun Globa Villamor who died hours after Escorial was presented to the media last Oct. 18. Autopsy on Villamor’s remains showed that the manner of his death was homicide.
During an interview on Double B TV, Remulla said: “Dumating ang report ng AMLC at nilabas din nila yung sinabi ng gunman, ni Escorial, very accurate. Andun talaga yung P550,000 na deposit within a certain number of days na kanyang sinabi (The report of AMLC is with us and it showed that what Escorial said was accurate. The P550,000 deposits were there and done within a certain number of days), Remulla said.
He said the names of the depositors were also reflected in the AMLC report.
“Meron din, yun ang bago natin na inimbestigahan kasi it sheds more light into the financial activities within kaya marami kasi tayong natutunan dito (Yes the names of depositors were there. We will investigate that as the AMLC disclosures shed more light into the financial activities within NBP),” he said.
When asked if the P550,000 was made in just one deposit, Remulla said: “Hindi, maraming deposit yun from within a span of more than two weeks eh, three-week period parang ganun (No, the deposits were done within a span of more than two week, it seems over a three-week period.)
When asked of different persons made the deposits, Remulla answered: "Iba-iba yan and ipapaliwanag na lang NBI yan pagdating ng Lunes kasi sila ang may alam ng mga detalye kasi alam mo ang trabaho ko talaga rito to make sure that they get the witnesses they need from the other agencies where I can at least ask them to turn over some people pero ang talagang nag iimbestiga niyan NBI (Different persons made the deposits and the National Bureau of Investigation will give the details on Monday, Nov. 7).”
Remulla had earlier said that the NBI and the Philippine National Police (PNP) are expected to file additional complaints before the Department of Justice (DOJ) on the killing of Percy Lapid
Also, Remulla said criminal charges will also be filed on Monday on the death of Villamor.
At the same time, when charges are filed on Monday the “masterminds’ in Percy Lapid killing and the death of Villamor would be known.
So far, a murder complaint on the Percy Lapid killing has been filed by PNP against Escorial and his alleged accomplices – brothers Edmon and Israel Dimaculangan, and a person identified only as “Orly” or “Orlando.” The three co-respondents have neither surrendered nor arrested.
Remulla said the joint NBI-PNP probe into Percy Lapid’s killing and the death of Villamor is 95 per cent complete.
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