Joel Escorial, the self-confessed gunman in the murder of radio broadcaster Percival C. Mabasa, also known as Percy Lapid, was sentenced to a maximum of 16 years imprisonment on Monday, May 6, by the Las Pinas City regional trial court (RTC).
Escorial's conviction in a decision handed down by RTC Judge Cesar Hulinganga was confirmed by Percy's brother, Roy, who is also a veteran journalist.
Roy confirmed that Escorial "received a sentence of eights years and eight months to 16 years imprisonment."
“Yung sentence is reclusion temporal, meaning one level lower than murder. But he will cooperate with the prosecution with regards to the case. Kaya sa PNP Custodial Center siya hanggang kailangan siya. After that, doon na siya sa kanyang choice of jail (The sentence against Escorial is reclusion temporal which is one level lower than murder. But he will cooperate with the prosecution with regards to the case. That’s why he will continue to be held at the Philippine National Police Custodial Center as long as he is needed. After that, he can be taken to the prison of his choice),” Roy said.
Last year, Escorial asked the Las Pinas City RTC court for plea bargaining or the pleading guilty to a lesser offense for lesser penalty.
A copy of the decision was not immediately available.
Roy also said: “We honor the slain journalist by entrusting everything to God, yet our quest for justice will persist until all the masterminds are imprisoned."
Former Bureau of Corrections (BuCoR) director general Gerald Q. Bantag, who has been identified as the mastermind in the Oct. 3, 2022 murder of Percy, remains at large despite the arrest order issued by both the Las Pinas City and the Muntinlupa City RTCs.
In Muntinlupa City, Bantag was also charged with murder for the death of Cristito Villamor Palana, a then person deprived of liberty (PDL), who was named as the "middle-man" in the killing of Percy.
Last year, three co-accused of Bantag in the Percy Lapid murder case were sentenced by the trial court after pleading guilty to a lesser offense. They are PDLs Aldrin Galicia, Alvin Labra and Alfie Peñaredondo who were sentenced two years up to eight years imprisonment for their roles as accessories to the murder of the broadcaster.
Another co-accused of Bantag, former BuCor Deputy security officer Ricardo S. Zulueta, also became a fugitive from justice. He passed away earlier this year due to cerebrovascular disease intracranial hemorrhage.