PNP remains mum on mastermind
THE October 3 ambush-slay of veteran radio commentator Percival Mabasa, more popularly known as Percy Lapid, is considered solved even as investigations are still ongoing, the chief of the Southern Police District said yesterday.
Brig. General Kirby John Kraft said the Special Investigation Task Group created to probe the killing has identified those involved, including self-confessed gunman Joel Escorial who surrendered days after the killing in Las Piñas City and is now under police custody.
“Actually, nalutas na natin ito dahil meron na tayong na-identify na mga suspects at meron na rin tayong nasa kustodiya natin, at higit sa lahat, na-file na natin ang kaso. Ito nga lang po, tinutuloy-tuloy pa rin natin ang imbestigasyon nito (Actually, we have solved the case since we have been able to identify the suspects and we have one in custody, and most of all, we have also filed the case. However, the investigation is still continuing),” Kraft told radio dzBB Sunday.
“As far as we are concerned, ito po ay nalutas na natin itong kaso na ito. Under the PNP circular, a case is considered solved when the suspect or suspects are identified, arrested or in custody, and charges have been filed. All these parameters are met here so we can consider this as solved but not closed since investigations are still continuing,” he added in a phone call later Sunday.
However, Kraft remained silent on the mastermind behind Lapid’s killing so as not to jeopardize ongoing operations.
The mastermind would have been identified if not for the death of an inmate of the National Bilibid Prison, who Escorial said contacted him for the slay order.
Escorial actually surrendered on October 17 and was charged along with his cohorts on the night of October 18.
The death of the inmate tagged as “middleman” in the slaying occurred in the afternoon of October 18, or hours after Escorial was presented to the public by Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos, and after the SPD and Lapid’s family filed murder charges.
The death was announced by Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla only on October 20. Later that day, Kraft said there was another middleman, who is detained at a facility of Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP).
Abalos identified the two middlemen as Villamor and Christopher Bacoto who he said is being secured by the BJMP pending the resolution of his drug case.
An initial NBI autopsy released on Saturday said the NBP inmate identified in Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) records as Jun Globa Villamor showed “there were no apparent external physical injury” on his body.
A paraffin test, which normally is used to determine whether a person has fired a gun, also yielded negative results.
The NBI has yet to release the results of histopathology and toxicological examinations done on the body.
A toxicology test will determine whether a person ingested drugs or other chemicals while histopathology examines body tissues to check for signs of disease.
Remulla announced the name as Crisanto Villamor on Friday but he later said they were able to reconcile the differences. He said there was a problem with BuCor’s record keeping of the inmate’s personal file.
PASSBOOK
Kraft yesterday said Escorial’s passbook supports his claim that P550,000 was paid for Lapid’s killing.
“Yes hawak na natin ang kaniyang passbook at nakita natin din na merong deposito na P550,000 (Yes, we have his passbook and there was a deposit of P550,500),” Kraft said in a telephone call.
Kraft said Escorial’s wife surrendered the passbook days after he decided to gave up to the authorities.
Kraft said there were at least four transactions in Escorial’s bank account this October alone.
He said investigators have asked the bank as well and the Anti-Money Laundering Council to determine the identity of the depositor or depositors to Escorial’s account.
An ABS-CBN report said two deposits worth P50,000 each were made to Escorial’s account on Sept. 15, the same day that Villamor reportedly told Escorial P100,000 was deposited to the account. Another P100,000 was wired to the same account on Sept.16, the day that Escorial said he and his cohorts started trailing Lapid to monitor his movement. The next deposit was made on Oct.4, or a day after Lapid was killed with P300,000 and P50, 000 wired separately.
The Department of Justice is set to hold today a preliminary hearing on the murder cases filed against Escorial and the other suspects he has identified brothers Edmon and Israel Dimaculangan, who were supposed to be backup gunmen, and a certain Orly, or Orlando, who drove Escorial’s getaway motorcycle.
Notwithstanding his extrajudicial confession, the DOJ said Escorial requested a preliminary investigation and executed a waiver of his rights under Article 125 of the Revised Penal Code.
“Thus, the case is set for preliminary investigation on October 24, “ the DOJ said.
Bacoto is not included in the charge yet as investigators are still ascertaining his participation in the crime.
