Kill order for Percy Lapid came from inside NBP? Police verifying, says PNP exec

Police investigators are validating the statement of Joel Escorial, the self-confessed gunman in the killing of broadcaster Percy Lapid, regarding the person who supposedly gave the kill order, an official of the Philippine National Police (PNP) said Thursday.

"Inaalam pa rin po natin kung 'yung sinabi ni Joel Escorial ay valid. Totoo ba 'to o gawa-gawa niya lang," said PNP deputy chief for administration Police Lieutenant General Rhodel Orden Sermonia in an interview on Super Radyo dzBB.

(We are still checking if what Joel Escorial said was valid, if it is fact or he just made that up.)

Sermonia made the statement when asked for confirmation if the person who allegedly ordered the suspects to kill Lapid was really inside the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) as claimed by Escorial.

The PNP official clarified that the police never confirmed that the person — a supposed middleman — is indeed inside the NBP.

“Hindi pa po namin puwedeng i-divulge 'yung exact location kasi may sinasabi si Escorial na meron siyang contact, meron ding kumontak  sa magkapatid na Dimaculangan na nakakulong din,” Sermonia said.

(We cannot divulge the exact location of the supposed middleman because Escorial said that a prisoner contacted him as well as the Dimaculangan siblings.)

When presented to the media on Tuesday following his surrender to authorities, Escorial identified three more suspects in Lapid’s killing, namely Israel and Edmon Dumaculangan, and one Orlando o “Orly.” All three are still at large.

In a separate interview on ANC, Sermonia said the supposed middleman, whom they have already identified, is currently facing drug-related charges and is still on trial, which means he could not have been in NBP as only convicts are locked up in the facility.

Sermonia said the police cannot transfer the person to another detention cell for security reasons without a court order.

Investigators have yet to identify the motive behind Lapid's killing.

Lapid, host of online broadcast program "Percy Lapid Fire" at DWBL 1242 and columnist for Hataw, was shot dead while on his way home in Las Piñas City on October 3.

A murder complaint has already been filed against Escorial and the three other suspects. —KBK, GMA News