Zulueta denies participation in killing Percy Lapid

Former Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) deputy security officer Ricardo Zulueta has denied his alleged participation in the killing of broadcaster Percy Lapid, his legal counsel said Monday.

Zulueta, tagged as one of the masterminds in the case along with suspended BuCor chief Gerald Bantag, is facing two complaints of murder for the deaths of Lapid and alleged middleman Jun Villamor.

“My client is very clear on this. Sabi niya, the allegations are all baseless and this is the handiwork of drug lords who are so angry at him and General Bantag because they removed the undeserved privileges from the time they took over at BuCor,” lawyer Lauro Gacayan told CNN.

“Also he denied any participation in the killing of Percy Lapid,” he added.

Authorities previously said that the sworn statements of persons deprived of liberty showed a clear and direct line from Bantag to Zulueta to other gang commanders.

Gacayan expressed belief that the evidence in the case is “hearsay” and “inadmissible in court.” 

In a Facebook post on Friday, Gacayan shared photos  of Zulueta, who has been silent since the complaints were lodged against him, wearing a polo shirt and jeans inside the former's law office in Baguio City. The photo was taken on December 13.

“He appeared before me and he engaged my services. He said he wants to show the whole world that he’s not abroad, he’s not in hiding, he’s not dead,” he said.

“Now, he’s not in hiding and there was no reason for him to be appearing in public places because, according to him, he has not received a formal copy of the complaint against him,” he added.

According to Gacayan, Zulueta received only a one-page subpoena to appear before the Department of Justice.

“But there’s no reason for him to appear if he was not provided a copy of the affidavit complaint for him to answer,” he said.

Gacayan said he received a copy of the complaint affidavit from Bantag’s lawyer, Atty. Rocky Balisong.

“I requested Atty. Balisong since he’s a very good friend of mine. My student [at] the College of Law to furnish me a copy of the affidavit complaint, the entire record against Colonel Zulueta and General Bantag and he was able to furnish me one,” he said.

Threats

Meanwhile, he reiterated that Zulueta is not in hiding but found no reason to appear in public places due to “security concerns.”

“He said he was going to different places. Manila. Baguio. Visiting his relatives in Pangasinan. He was not in hiding,” Gacayan said.

“But there was no reason for him also to be at the malls or other public places considering the security concerns that he told me,” he added.

Asked if there were threats against Zulueta, Gacayan said his client showed him “numerous texts.”

“One of which was saying hindi ka na aabutan ng Christmas Colonel Zulueta. And others,” Gacayan said.

Motion

Gacayan, meanwhile, expressed support for the motion for inhibition filed by Bantag seeking to transfer the Percy Lapid case to the Ombudsman, saying they are adopting the motion.

“We believe that we are entitled to the cold neutrality of an impartial tribunal. That was the decision of the Supreme Court in a long line of decisions,” he said.

“We do not believe that we will be able to obtain fair proceedings before the panel of prosecutors appointed by the DOJ secretary,” he added.

He said they will submit the counter affidavit once the DOJ panel releases its resolution on the motion for inhibition.

“Why? Because we do not know where to submit the counter affidavit. Shall it be with the DOJ or to the Ombudsman if the DOJ will inhibit from handling this case,” he said.

Lapid was shot dead in Las Piñas City on October 3 while Villamor died at the New Bilibid Prison.

An autopsy by forensic pathologist Dr. Raquel Fortun showed Villamor's remains to have a “history of asphyxia by plastic bag suffocation.”—Joahna Lei Casilao/AOL, GMA Integrated News