Three co-accused of former Bureau of Corrections director general Gerald Q. Bantag and security officer Ricardo S. Zulueta pleaded to a lesser offense of accessory in the murder case filed against them for the killing of radio broadcaster Percival “Percy Lapid” Mabasa on Oct. 3, 2022 in Las Pinas City.
Sentenced to a prison term ranging from two to eight years were New Bilibid Prison’s (NBP) persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) Aldrin Galicia, Alvin Labra and Alfie Penaredonda.
They had been charged in the murder case as principals by indispensable cooperation in the case filed by the Department of Justice (DOJ).
With the approval of the prosecutors, they pleaded to a lesser offense of accessory to murder.
Roy Mabasa, brother of Percy Lapid, said in a text message that the judgment of conviction on plea bargaining was handed down in open court by Las Pinas City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Judge Harold Hulinganga. Roy said he was present in the court room when the decision was promulgated.
In his viber message, Roy said: “Las Pinas City RTC Judge Harold Cesar Hulinganga sentenced three inmates Aldrin Galicia, Alvin Labra and Alfie Peñaredonda from two years up to eight years imprisonment for their roles as accessories to murder broadcaster Percival Mabasa, also known as Percy Lapid, last October 3, 2022,”
Plea bargaining is the plea of guilty by an accused for a lesser offense for a lesser penalty. Murder, under the Revised Penal Code (RPC), is punishable by imprisonment ranging from 20 to 40 years.
Under the RPC, accessories to murder are those who did not actually participate in the killing but have knowledge on the commission of the offense.
The convicted PDLs are gang leaders inside the NBP in Muntinlupa City. Galicia is the leader of the Sputnik Gang, Labra of the BJC Gang, and Penaredonda of Happy Go Lucky Gang.
Aside from Bantag, Zulueta and the three convicted PDLs, also charged in the killing of Percy Lapid were PDLs Denver Mayores and Christopher Bacoto, self-confessed killer Joel S. Escorial, brothers Israel and Edmon Dimaculangan, and an accused only known as “Orly” or “Orlando.”
Bantag and Zulueta, who were also charged with murder for the death of NBP PDL Cristito Villamor Palana, the alleged “middleman” in the killing of the broadcaster, remained at large despite the arrest orders issued by the two branches of RTCs in Las Pinas City and Muntinlupa City.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) has offered a P2 million and P1 million reward, respectively, to any person who could give information that would lead to the arrest of Bantag and Zulueta.
The DOJ welcome the decision of the Las Pinas City RTC.
“This is a very welcome development. They are not only doing this for the case but for themselves as well. It is a mitigating circumstance to plead guilty which will lessen their sentence for this crime,” said DOJ Assistant Secretary Jose Dominic F. Clavano IV.
“However, the Department is not stopping there. We would like to see their principal, the brains behind the murders, plead guilty or convicted. That is the only time we can say that Justice has been served,” Clavano added.