Slain broadcaster’s kin air doubts
THE man tagged as the killer of radio broadcaster Percival Mabasa, also known as Percy Lapid, surrendered to the police on Monday and was presented to the public yesterday by Interior Secretary Benjamin “Benhur” Abalos Jr.
“This is a major breakthrough,” Abalos said in a press conference at the PNP headquarters at Camp Crame, where he presented Joel Estorial, 39, a native of Leyte and residing in Quezon City.
Abalos said Estorial has executed an extra-judicial confession, assisted by a counsel, admitting his role in the killing.
Lapid’s brother, Roy Mabasa who is also a journalist, said on Facebook the family thanks the PNP “for the surrender of the person who claims to be the gunman.”
In a radio interview, Roy said the man who surrendered and the gunman shown on CCTV footage obtained by the police do not appear to be the same person.
Roy asked the public to try matching the features of Estorial and the one on the CCTV footage.
“Parang hindi magkamukha (It appears they are not one and the same person),” he said.
Roy said he hopes he will be given the opportunity to personally see Estorial so he can have a clearer comparison.
Abalos said Estorial named his cohorts, including an inmate at the National Bilibid Prison (NBP) who allegedly contacted him to kill Lapid.
The Bureau of Corrections ordered an investigation into Estorial’s claim that the order to kill came from inside Bilibid.
Lapid was shot dead on the night of October 3 at the gate of the BF Resort Village in Las Piñas City. He was aboard his Toyota Innova vehicle when he was gunned down.
Authorities have released wanted posters of one of the suspects.
A combined P6.5 reward has been offered for information that would lead to the solution of the case.
“The initial report is he surrendered out of fear of personal safety,” Abalos said in the press conference.
Abalos said Estorial named three of his cohorts — brothers Edmon and Israel Dimaculangan, both of Las Piñas City, and one Orly/Orlando.
FALL GUY?
Abalos dismissed possible speculations Estorial is a fall guy. He noted that slugs recovered at the crime scene matched the handgun which he said Estorial turned over to authorities during ballistics examination.
Abalos said investigators also found the clothes — which were torn — worn by Estorial during the shooting. Also, Abalos said, Estorial was caught on CCTV.
Abalos urged the other suspects, particularly those implicated by Estorial, to surrender.
“It’s better if you will also surrender. He (Estorial) felt his life is in danger… Your names are out, you were implicated by the suspect (Estorial)… My advice to you is turn yourselves in…
What’s important is surrender and we will extend assistance if necessary,” said Abalos.
Members of the media were not allowed to ask Estorial questions. But Estorial provided some information about the incident, through Abalos who interviewed him during the press conference.
Among others, Estorial said there were six of them involved in the killing including the Dimaculangan brothers and Orly, of Batangas, who he said served as driver of the motorcycle he rode.
Estorial said the six also included a man “inside” the “Bilibid,” apparently referring to the NBP, who he said “contacted” them to kill Lapid.
“Our agreement was whoever is closest to Percy, he will be the one to shoot. It happened that I was the one closest to him,” said Estorial in Filipino.
Before shooting Lapid, Estorial said, Orly told him he might end up dead if he would not shoot Lapid.
Estorial sought forgiveness from the Mabasa family, saying he was only lured by money.
Estorial said he surrendered to the PNP through the help of a friend who knows a policeman.
MASTERMIND
Abalos said Estorial is “very much willing to cooperate” in the investigation.
He also said investigators are now after the mastermind. However, he declined to elaborate on the motive of the killing.
“We have to get to the mastermind, that’s very important. Investigation is ongoing right now,” said Abalos, who withheld other details of the case so as not to jeopardize the probe.
Asked to the motive, Abalos said: “We’ll let’s see. It’s hard to conclude, it’s hard to give an opinion because all of these should be evidence-based, that’s how important this case is.
It’s important if this will be based on evidence and statement of people.”
Pressed if the killing was related to Lapid’s job, Abalos said, “It’s hard to say, we still have (ongoing investigation). Just give us a few more days, we’re going to have another presscon.”
In the same press conference, Southern Police District chief Col. Kirby John Kraft apologized for not disclosing details at this time.
Lapid’s brother Roy said he asked for a “walk-through.”
Roy said the PNP showed to him the original CCTV footage of the suspect earlier. He said the physical features of the man who surrendered and the man on the CCTV are different.
“I do not want to judge them (PNP). But let’s have a walk-through and have cross-matching. I might be wrong. I am going to accept if I am wrong,” said Roy, adding everyone’s goal is only the truth.
“We have to show what really happened, cross-match everything. I also want to know the circumstances leading to his surrender,” Roy also said.
Roy said he learned of the surrender from Abalos who called him last Monday.
Roy said Abalos told him about the “middleman,” a detainee at the NBP who supposedly contacted the alleged gunman and his cohorts.
“I requested him to secure him, whoever he is, because if something happens to him, we’re going to face the dead end,” said Roy.
In a separate radio interview, Kraft said Estorial surrendered to the task group.
Kraft said Estorial provided the name of the NBP inmate who contacted him. He did not identify the inmate.
PNP chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin asked Estorial’s cohorts to surrender.
BuCor deputy director general Gabriel Chaclag said they will get to the bottom of Estorial’s revelation.
“Our policies in the NBP are all aimed at preventing convicted criminals from further being able to inflict harm on our free society. It is wrong in all sense that a prisoner can still be able to communicate with his cohorts to perform criminal acts outside,” he said.
Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said he will seek more information from the BuCor as he only had sketchy details on the surrender.
Sen. Ramon Revilla Jr. filed a resolution urging the committee on public order and dangerous drugs to conduct to investigate as to how an order to kill Lapid came from Bilibid.
“Echoing the acknowledgement made by DOJ Secretary Remulla that there are nefarious activities that are being proliferated from within the national penitentiary, the Senate must look into the veracity of such claims… Should the claims made by the gunman Estorial be proven true, it is imperative to institute reforms inside the NBP,” Revilla said in the resolution.
Speaker Martin Romualdez congratulated Abalos and the PNP for Estorial’s surrender.
“We hope that this leads to the apprehension of the other suspects and the resolution of the case,” he said in a statement.
Romualdez earlier announced the House of Representatives has raised P5 million in reward money. — With Ashzel Hachero, Raymond Africa and Peter J. G. Tabingo
