Percival Mabasa, who was popularly known as Percy Lapid, was killed in an ambush in Las Piñas on Monday night, October 3, 2022. Photo from his Facebook page
MANILA, Philippines — The grieving family of slain veteran broadcaster Percival Mabasa, who was popularly known as Percy Lapid, is demanding that killers be brought to justice.
“We demand that his cowardly assassins be brought to justice,” the family said in a statement shared Tuesday on Facebook by Lapid’s journalist brother, Roy Mabasa.
“We are deeply saddened and angered by the brutal and brazen killing of a fearless broadcaster, father and husband, brother and friend, Percy Lapid. We strongly condemn this deplorable crime; it was committed not only against Percy, his family, and his profession, but against our country, his beloved Philippines, and the truth,” they also said.
READ: Radio commentator Percy Lapid shot dead in ambush
Lapid is known for his critical commentary on political and social issues such as red-tagging and extrajudicial killings under former President Rodrigo Duterte.
“His bold and sharp commentaries cut through the barrage of fake news over the airwaves and social media,” the family said.
Other individuals and groups such as Vice President Leni Robredo and the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) have also registered their sympathies and dismay over Lapid’s killing.
“Hindi dapat palampasin ang pagpaslang kay Ka Percy; dapat agad maihain ang hustisya sa pangyayaring ito – at sa marami pang insidente ng pagpatay sa ating mga journalists,” said Robredo.
(Ka Percy’s killing should not be allowed to pass; justice must be served in this incident – as well as for other incidents of media killings.)
The NUJP, on the other hand, said: “We call on the public to join us in condemning yet another murder of a journalist. We call on the Philippine National Police to hold the perpetrators accountable.”
Lapid’s death is the second media killing during the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. according to the NUJP.
On September 18, broadcaster Rey Blanco was stabbed to death in Negros Oriental.
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