MURDER charges are now being prepared by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and Philippine National Police (PNP) against individuals implicated in the hugely-controversial Percy Lapid slay.

“May mga murder cases na isasampa pero hindi ko pa alam yung mga pangalan. Hindi ko pa mabanggit sa inyo dahil may ginagawa nga pong imbestigasyon ang NBI at ang PNP,” veteran journalist Roy Mabasa, brother of the slain broadcaster, said in a chance interview at the Department of Justice (DOJ) main office in Manila on Wednesday.

When asked about the timetable in the filing of cases, Mabasa said: “[M]eron pang ginagawang operasyon sa kasalukuyan. Nag-a-agree naman tayo na kailangan bigyan sila ng kaunting oras ano.

But looking at the timetable nung Friday, ma-delay ito siguro (filing of the cases) until Monday next week.”

Also, the family of Lapid, Percival Mabasa, in real life, is unsurprised that suspended Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) chief Gerald Bantag is one of the persons of interest in the celebrated slay case.

“Hindi naman tayo magtataka sapagkat yung mga nangyari sa loob ng bilibid ay sa loob ng pamumuno ni General Bantag. But as I said hahayaan po natin ang awtoridad na magbanggit ng mga pangalan,” Mabasa said.

Mabasa and his counsel met Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla and representatives from the NBI and PNP during a case conference held at the DOJ.

Also, Mabasa renewed his appeal to detractors to immediately stop smearing the ongoing investigation into the celebrated killing.

Mabasa also lamented that even his colleagues in mainstream media are involved in the alleged smear campaign.

“Ang nakakalungkot lang na sa gitna ng aming pagdadalamhati ay may mga tao pa na nais kaming sirain o maging sa socmed (social media) o mainstream media. Bayaan na lang po natin yan kasi distraction po yan sa aming ginagawa sa pagtuon sa kaso,” Mabasa said.

At the same time, Mabasa urged the public for understanding in light of his family’s overwhelming emotional ordeal over the October 3 murder of Lapid, who was Percival Mabasa in real life.

Making matters worse, Mabasa revealed that some members of his family are now receiving death threats in an obvious attempt to prevent them from cooperating with authorities.

“Bilang pamilya nakikiusap po ako sa publiko na intindihin ang aming posisyon [especially] ako ang nagsasalita dito dahil wala naman pong magdadala ng aming katayuan kung hindi ako.

Inilalayo ko na po yung pamilya ni Ka Percy dahil sa dahilan na ayoko silang i-expose sa delikadong sitwasyon. Meron na po kaming natatanggap na death threats, ayoko ng ilagay yung mga bata sa sitwasyon na ganun,” he said.