Get Percy Lapid killing mastermind, PNP prodded
HOUSE Minority leader and 4Ps Representative Marcelino “Nonoy” Libanan urged the Philippine National Police (PNP) to ensure justice is served to the killed journalist Percival Mabasa or Percy Lapid.
While Libanan welcomed the development on the surrender of the main suspect, he said the PNP should exert more effort in running after the mastermind behind killing.
Libanan added that the decision of the Department of the Interior and Local Government to quickly put up reward posters with the gunman’s CCTV image made easy for the police to identify and arrest the perpetrators.
“However, as far as we’re concerned, the case is unsolved as long as the mastermind is scot free,” Libanan said.
“No effort should be spared to single out, apprehend, prosecute and put behind bars the mastermind who supposedly paid for the contract killing,” Libanan added.
Likewise, Libanan said authorities should follow the money. An examination of the money transfers may well lead to the mastermind,” Libanan, a lawyer by profession.
Joel Escorial, the confessed gunman in the case, earlier claimed that the order to kill Lapid came from a “middleman” at the New Bilibid Prison.
Escorial alleged that there were six of them in the actual plan to kill Lapid, and that they were paid a total of P550,000.
He voluntarily surrendered to the authorities out of fear for his safety.
