MORE persons are set to be charged on Monday, November 7, before the

Department of Justice (DOJ) in connection with the Percy Lapid slay case, including the mystery-shrouded death of middleman Jun Villamor.

“Nag-uusap ang National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the Philippine National Police (PNP). They are talking between themselves about the cases they’re filing because they are filing more cases on Monday, I think,” Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said over the weekend.

Remulla has expressed satisfaction over the progress of the investigation into the Lapid slay case, and Villamor’s death.

“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, hopefully,” Remulla said.

Self-confessed gunman Joel Escorial along with brothers Israel and Edmon Dimaculangan, and a certain “Orlando,” who are all at-large, have been charged with murder before the DOJ.

Escorial, 39, surrendered to authorities out of fear for his personal safety.

Escorial admitted that he, along with the three other respondents were responsible
for killing Lapid.

He also claimed that the order to assassinate Lapid allegedly came inside the walls of the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa City.

According to him, six of them were paid a total of P550,000 to do the hit.

Meanwhile, lawyer Danilo Pelagio, counsel for the family of the slain broadcaster, is expecting the consolidation of the cases to be filed on Monday, with the murder case previously lodged before DOJ against Escorial and several others.

Another possible murder complaint in connection with the death of middleman Villamor may also be consolidated, Pelagio said.

Villamor supposedly relayed the order to kill Lapid, Percival Mabasa in real life, to Escorial.

Villamor, who had been serving time since 2019 for murder, frustrated murder and violation of an election gun ban, died inside the New Bilibid Prison Hospital in Muntinlupa on October 18.

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.

Forensic pathologist Dr. Raquel Fortun released the result of her independent autopsy on the body of Villamor.

The autopsy performed by Fortun showed that Villamor died due to suffocation after a plastic bag was placed over his head.

“Based on available information regarding the circumstances surrounding the death, the manner is homicide,” Fortun said in her report.