Dashcam catches Percy Lapid’s suspected killers on video

Two motorcycle riders believed to be behind the fatal shooting of broadcaster Percy Lapid have been caught on video taken by the dashboard camera inside his vehicle.

According to Marisol Abdurahman’s report on “24 Oras”, the video showed the two men riding a motorcycle tailing Lapid as he drove in Parañaque on Monday night.

Gunshots were heard in the footage before the broadcaster’s vehicle hit the car in front .

“May sumusunod sa kaniyang motorsiklo at mayroong pumutok," Southern Police District (SPD) director Police Brigadier General Kirby Kraft said of the camera footage.

"Then, nakita uli natin na tumatakas na 'yung suspect galing dun sa pinangyarihan ng krimen,” he added.

(A motorcycle was tailing him and then there were gunshot sounds. Then, we’ll see the suspects fleeing the scene.)

Authorities obtained a copy of the video and it is now part of the evidence for their investigation.

However, they have yet to establish the suspects' identities as well as their motive behind Lapid’s killing.

Kraft said the police would cross-match with other shooting incidents after a ballistic examination found that the firearm the suspects used is a caliber .45 pistol.

“Magkakaroon tayo ng cross-matching sa mga ibang insidente...shooting incidents na kung saan calibre .45 pistol din ang ginamit,” Kraft said.

(We’ll conduct a cross-matching with other shooting incidents where caliber .45 was used.)

Meanwhile, the National Bureau of Investigation (NB) visited Lapid’s wake at the Loyola Memorial Center to coordinate with his family regarding the probe.

The Commission on Human Rights launched a separate investigation on the shooting incident.

Earlier, several embassies including the Canadian and French Embassies condemned Lapid’s killing, saying such attacks on media creates a “chilling effect” that “curtails the ability of journalists to report the news freely and safely”.

“Journalists' killings strike at the very core of media freedom and can create a chilling effect that curtails the ability of journalists to report the news freely and safely," the Canadian at the Netherlands Embassy said in a statement.

"Such attacks on media workers must be urgently investigated, and those responsible must be held to account,” he added.

The French Embassy echoed its remark and said, “France reaffirms its resolute, unwavering commitment to the freedom of the press, freedom of speech, and protection of journalists”.