One of the accused in the murder of broadcaster Percival C. Mabasa, also known as Percy Lapid, has agreed to testify in the case, a member of the victim’s family said on Wednesday, Sept. 11.
Veteran journalist Roy C. Mabasa, the brother of Percival, said a prosecutor from the Department of Justice (DOJ) has called him that one of the accused in the case, Christopher Bacoto, has agreed to testify.
“According to the DOJ, he (Bacoto) agreed to testify na (already). I don’t know the scope of the negotiations,” Roy disclosed.
“Importante ang testimonya ni Bacoto (The testimony of Bacoto is important) in as far as his link with the gunman,” said Mabasa who believes that the testimony will make the case more airtight.
He explained that Bacoto has been tagged as the middleman who sought the gunman who killed Percival on Oct. 3, 2022 in Las PInas City.
Roy noted that Bacoto is currently behind bars for a string of crimes including drug trafficking.
The murder case is currently pending before Las Pinas Regional Trial Court.
Former Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) Director General Gerald Q. Bantag is one of the accused in the case but he remains at large despite the arrest order issued by the court.
“But still, we are urging the authorities to effect the arrest of Bantag as soon as possible,” Roy said.