Another person deprived of liberty (PDL) at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa City has pleaded guilty to a lesser offense of accessory in the Oct. 3, 2022 killing of radio broadcaster Percival C. Mabasa, also known as Percy Lapid.
With his guilty plea, Las Pinas City regional trial court (RTC) Judge Harold Hulinganga sentenced PDL Denver Mayores to a prison term ranging from two to eight years in a ruling handed down last Dec. 4.
In a statement issued on Thursday, Dec. 7, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said the Las Pinas City acknowledged "Mayores' conspiracy with former Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) chief Gerald Bantag and deputy security officer Ricardo Zulueta in the murder of Lapid."
The DOJ said "the conviction of Mayores, who initially faced a murder complaint as a principal by indispensable cooperation, underscores the complex web of involvement in Lapid's assassination."
Earlier, three PDLs at NBP had been convicted as accessories in the Percy Lapid killing. They were identified by the DOJ as Aldrin Galicia, Alvin Labra, and Alfie Peñaredonda, who were found guilty as accessories in Lapid's murder.
The three PDLs had also been convicted of murder in the killing of fellow PDL Cristito Villamor Palana, known as Jun Villamor, who had been identified as one of the middlemen in Lapid's killing.
“This series of convictions marks a critical point in the DOJ's pursuit of justice in the high-profile murders of Lapid and Villamor,” the DOJ said.
“The Department remains committed to upholding the rule of law and ensuring a thorough and fair legal process in these cases,” it assured.
It said it is “closely observing the ongoing legal proceedings, including the case against Joel Escorial, the alleged gunman.”
“Escorial is seeking to reduce his sentence and be transferred to Abuyog prison in Leyte before making his plea, with his case expected to be promulgated in February 2024,” the DOJ disclosed.
“DOJ prosecutors are currently evaluating the potential impact of reducing Escorial's charges from murder to homicide,” it said.
Mabasa was gunned down in Las Pinas City on Oct. 3, 2022. Fifteen days later on Oct. 18, Palana died at the NBP due to suffocation.
Both Bantay and Zulueta have remained at large despite the issuance of warrants of arrest by both the Las Pinas City and Muntinlupa City RTCs.