The radio broadcaster Percy Lapid (Facebook)

Lawmakers from the House of Representatives have hailed the sentencing of the self-confessed gunman behind the Oct. 3, 2022 killing of broadcaster Percival “Percy Lapid” Mabasa.

During the press briefing on Tuesday, May 7, Deputy Majority Leader and PBA Party-list Rep. Migs Nograles said the conviction showed that the Philippine justice system was still effective.

“Maganda yung development nito because as a whole makikita mong nagtatrabaho talaga at nagkakaroon ng hustisya ang Pilipinas sa mga ganitong aspeto (It's a good development because as a whole you can see that justice in the Philippines is really working in these aspects). And we are looking forward and hopeful na this case will be put into rest,” said Nograles.

“You see that the justice system is working. Mabagal nga lang but merong hustisya na nakikita tayo (It's slow but we can see that there is justice),” she added.

The Las Pinas City Regional Court on Monday sentenced gunman Joel Escorial to serve eight years and eight months or up to 16 years in prison for his involvement in Lapid's assassination.

Escorial implicated former Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) Director-General Gerald Bantag as the alleged mastermind of the killing. Despite the issuance of arrest warrants, Bantag remains at-large.

“This is still not the light at the end of the tunnel kasi nga meron paring taong remaining at-large (because there is still someone remaining at-large),” Nograles noted.

For Bukidnon 2nd district Rep. Jonathan Keith Flores, Bantag must still be held accountable to truly achieve justice.

1-RIDER Party-list Rep. Rodge Gutierrez, meanwhile, said this conviction was not only a “victory for our justice system” but also a “victory for press freedom”.

“I hope that this conviction will be a reminder——stark reminder for those who seek to harm the very important partners in media who you know are the cornerstone of our democracy,” said Gutierrez.

“Having this conviction should be a warning message that they can’t get away with it,” he emphasized.

For his part, Davao Oriental 2nd district Rep. Cheeno Miguel Almario hopes that the Lapid family will finally find comfort despite the case not being completely solved.

“I really do hope that the family finds comfort and also finds trust again in the justice system. It may be delayed but it happened, but justice will come to those who need it,” noted Almario.