Percy Lapid’s brother says he has been receiving death threats

Journalist Roy Mabasa on Monday said he has been receiving death threats amid the investigation into the killing of his brother, broadcaster Percy Lapid.

“Katakot-takot na pong death threat ang inaabot ko. Kaya nga po hindi ako nakapunta sa DOJ para sa kaalaman niyo lang dahil may banta po sa aking buhay,” Mabasa said in an interview on Super Radyo dzBB.

(I have been receiving terrifying death threats. That’s why I was not able to go to the DOJ, for your information, because there are threats to my life.)

“Masyadong brazen ‘yung mga messages na pinapadala sa akin sa cellphone, sa messenger, may video chat pa. Alam niyo kung ganoon ‘yung natatanggap niyo under the circumstances, iisipin niyo pa ba lumabas,” he added.

(They are brazen, the messages I’ve been receiving on my cellphone, through Messenger, and even video chat. In these circumstances, would you even think about going out?)

Lapid was shot dead while on his way home in Las Piñas City on October 3.

Earlier on Monday, the Department of Justice started the preliminary investigation into the murder complaint filed against confessed gunman Joel Escorial and three other accomplices in the killing of Lapid.

Asked if the family of Jun Villamor, the deceased alleged “middleman” in the plot to kill Lapid, had also received death threats, Mabasa said they were scared as well.

Villamor passed away at the New Bilibid Prison hospital on October 18.

“Natatakot sila dahil alam kung nasaan silang lugar… ako naman lahat ng pagtitiis ginagawa ko na para lang makausap lang sila. Pero ako’y nakikiusap pa rin na sana’y bilisan namin ‘yung aksyon dahil kami ‘yung biktima dito. Kami ‘yung pinatayan ng kapatid,” Mabasa said.

(They said they are scared because their location is known… as for me, I’ve been tolerating everything just to talk to them. But I’m pleading with them to act because we are the victims here. Our brother was the one who was killed.)

Second autopsy

Meanwhile, Mabasa said their family had requested Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla to conduct a second independent autopsy on Villamor. They hoped it would be done by forensic pathologist Dr. Raquel Fortun.

An autopsy conducted by the National Bureau of Investigation showed that Villamor suffered a hemorrhage in the heart.

“Sabi ko sa kanya wala pong kakayanan ang pamilya namin para gastusan ‘yan. Sabi niya sasagutin ‘yan ng DOJ, ang kailangan lang talaga ay makakuha ng pahintulot mula sa pamilya,” Mabasa said.

(I told him our family cannot pay for this. He said the DOJ will handle it and they only need permission from the family.)

“Kausap ko po ‘yung mga kapatid medyo natatagalan sila mag desisyon tungkol doon sa pahintulot ano sapagkat may mga komplikasyon din,” he added.

(I talked to the siblings and they are having trouble with the permission because of complications.)

For his part, Remulla said he had reached out to Fortun. He said Fortun “basically” agreed to conduct the autopsy.

“Basically yes. But she told me first to coordinate with her assistant or the NBI and her assistant to speak first about the procedure conducted so they can prepare for the procedure properly,” he said in an interview with the media.

Reklamong administratibo at kriminal, planong isampa ng pamilya ni Percy Lapid laban kay Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) director general Gerald Bantag. | via @Isa_Umali pic.twitter.com/yz93mQ1gIQ

— DZBB Super Radyo (@dzbb) October 24, 2022

Administrative and criminal raps

Meanwhile, the Lapid family is seeking to file administrative and criminal charges against suspended Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) chief Gerald Bantag, according to Isa Avendaño-Umali’s report on Super Radyo dzBB.

Atty. Berteni Causing, the family’s spokesperson, said they will base the charges on the statements of Escorial.

Causing said Bantag's negligence led to the use of cell phones within the New Bilibid Prison, which in turn led to the Lapid killing transaction.

Meanwhile, he said they may also file criminal charges due to reckless imprudence resulting in murder.

In a separate interview, Remulla said they will continue the investigation.

“We have not stopped studying all possibilities. Those things are familiar already… and that we’re not stopping. I will turn over many of the information to the NBI this afternoon, so the NBI can validate the information,” he said.

When asked if Bantag is part of the investigation of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), Remulla said all angles are being considered.

“All possible suspects are being considered. All angles are being considered. We cannot— we have to be thorough with this,” Remulla said.

Remulla added that Bantag is “definitely a person of interest” when asked if it is safe to say that he is among the suspects.

“Well, he’s a person of interest. Definitely, he’s a person of interest… but I cannot comment on the guilt or innocence of these people. Alam niyo naman ‘yun,” he said.

Earlier, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said that around 160 personalities, including Bantag, are considered persons of interest in the killing of Lapid.

The PNP has clarified that the case is not yet solved, contrary to earlier claims. — DVM, GMA News