Percy Lapid murder: Gunman says ‘someone from Bilibid prison’ gave kill order

Joel Estorial (right) claims someone from the New Bilibid Prison ordered him and four others to kill Percival Mabasa. - PHILIPPINE NATIONAL POLICE/FACEBOOK

MANILA (Philippine Daily Inquirer/Asia News Network): “Someone from Bilibid” gave the order to kill veteran broadcaster Percy Lapid.

Confessed gunman Joel Estorial revealed this on Tuesday (Oct 18) as the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and Philippine National Police (PNP) presented him to the media following his supposed surrender to authorities on Oct 17.

“Someone from inside the Bilibid,” said the 39-year-old suspect in the killing of Lapid, whose real name was Percival Mabasa, when asked who instructed him and his accomplices to ambush the radioman.

Bilibid is the common term for the New Bilibid Prison – the country’s main penitentiary managed by the Bureau of Corrections under the Department of Justice – located in Muntinlupa City.

Estorial, in the same press briefing where he was presented, also identified his alleged partners in crime as brothers Edmon and Israel Dimaculangan, and a certain “Orlando” or “Orly” – all of whom are still at large as of this posting.

He then detailed how they allegedly plotted to gun down Lapid last Oct 3.

“Our arrangement was for whoever got closest to Percy would be the one to fire the fatal shot, and I was in that position. I was threatened with death if I didn’t shoot Percy at that moment, so I did,” Estorial narrated, recounting what Orly allegedly told him before they committed the crime.

Estorial maintained they were following the orders from Orlando, who in turn

“The one who booked us came from inside Bilibid. Someone called us to do it,” he added.

According to Estorial, a total of P550,000 was distributed among the people involved in Lapid’s killing. He also said that around P140,000 has since been deposited in his bank account.

Interior Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr, for his part, urged the mastermind and the other three suspects to surrender to the police.

“We have to get the mastermind. That’s very important,” he said, noting that the PNP is still conducting follow-up investigations.

The administrations of both former President Rodrigo Duterte and former President Ferdinand Marcos Jr were targets of Lapid’s scathing criticism. He was ambushed and killed outside the gate of the Las Pinas City neighbourhood where he lived.

He was the voice of DWBL 1242’s biting political commentary programme “Lapid Fire.”