JUSTICE Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla on Friday said that formal charges may be filed next week against individuals implicated in the sensational murder of broadcaster Percy Lapid.

This is as Remulla has expressed “satisfaction” over the progress of the investigation, including the death of middleman Jun Villamor.

“The results, it’s very satisfactory, I think we’ve made a lot of progress. I think that we can, the proper cases can be filed by the end of next week, hopefully,” Remulla in a chance interview said.

When asked if the mastermind is already identified, Remulla said: “We have to evaluate everything properly pa. And basta ako, I’m just guiding the investigation.”

He added that the Department of Justice (DOJ) is now meticulously reviewing the formal statements executed by several persons of interest now in government custody.

“I want to look at the affidavits kasi isa lang naman ang nakikita ko pa. I only read one affidavit,” Remulla said.

‘Eight persons of interest secured’

Justice Assistant Secretary Atty. Mico Clavano disclosed that another person of interest in the Lapid slay case was secured by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).

This brought to eight the total number of persons of interest in the hugely-sensational murder that transpired last October 3 in Las Piñas City.

According to Clavano, the person of interest was transferred to the NBI from the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP) headquarters.

‘Result of 2nd autopsy out soon’

Forensic pathologist Dr. Raquel Fortun will release Saturday the result of her independent autopsy on the body of middleman Villamor, who died at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) Hospital in Muntinlupa last October 18.

Villamor, who had been serving time since 2019 for murder, frustrated murder, and violation of an election gun ban, supposedly relayed the kill order to self-confessed gunman Joel Escorial.

A Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) report said Villamor was brought to the NBP Hospital around 1:30 p.m. after he was found unconscious at his prison dorm inside the maximum security compound of NBP.

Also, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), which conducted the first autopsy, said in a report that Villamor was found to have suffered a hemorrhage in the heart.

“Dr. Raquel Fortun asked for one more day to release her autopsy report,” Clavano said on Friday.

DOJ has arranged a press briefing on Saturday where Fortun is expected to announce the result of her autopsy on Villamor’s body.