Alleged gunman in Percy Lapid killing surrenders
The suspected gunman in the fatal shooting of veteran broadcaster Percival “Percy Lapid” Mabasa has surrendered to the Philippine National Police (PNP).
Interior Secretary Benjamin “Benhur” Abalos Jr. identified the suspect as 39-year-old Joel Salve Estorial, in a press briefing on Tuesday.
When asked by Abalos, Estorial said that he surrendered out of fear after police earlier released a CCTV image of him and a ₱6.5-million bounty was placed on his head.
Estorial said the mastermind was an unnamed personality from “Bilibid” (New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa).
Abalos said the ballistic evidence in the crime scene matched the gun recovered from Estorial. He added that Estorial still has the clothes he wore during the night of the killing, as caught on CCTV.
Three other suspects, identified as Edmun and Israel Dimaculangan and a certain “Orly” remain at large and the subject of a police manhunt.
Lapid was gunned down by motorcycle-riding men in Las Piñas City while he was onboard his car on the night of October 13.
Estorial said his group was given ₱550,000 to commit the crime.
Of this amount, he said he got a share of ₱140,000 which was transferred to his bank account.
He didn’t say who paid them, but he claimed instructions came from the New Bilibid Prison.
Estorial asked forgiveness from the journalist’s family, as he turned emotional during the press conference.
The motive behind Lapid’s murder remains unclear.
Meanwhile, the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines welcomed the arrest, saying it hopes this will keep the wheels of justice rolling and lead to the eventual prosecution of whoever gave the kill order.
“Accountability in this case will help chip away at the culture of impunity around journalist killings that media, civil society and government agencies have been working to change,” the group said.
Colleagues and avid listeners referred to Lapid as a fearless broadcaster.
He hosted a radio news program where he denounced apparent abuses and irregularities in the government, particularly under the terms of former President Rodrigo Duterte and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
His death generated outcry both locally and internationally, with numerous organizations and governments urging the Philippine government to see to it that those responsible are brought to justice.
Many Twitter netizens are skeptical of Estorial’s confession and suspect that he is only a fall guy for Lapid’s real killers. Netizens are particularly in disbelief that a suspect would surface and confess so easily and conveniently point to an unnamed someone from inside the New Bilibid Prison as the mastermind.
