NO LONGER SAFE FOR YOU, TOO Raising the bounty in the Oct. 3 Mabasa killing, Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos on Friday calls on the still unidentified gunman to turn himself in, warning him that whoever was the mastermind who gave him that hit job “may do something bad to you.” —NCRPO-PIO Photo
Authorities said the noose was tightening on the gunman who killed veteran broadcaster Percival Mabasa, as they released on Friday a photo of the masked assailant captured by surveillance cameras.
The bounty for the assassin’s arrest was also raised to P1.5 million.
“Many people know you; many people are reporting. Maybe you should give up,” Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos said, addressing the unidentified man who shot the popular radio commentator and vlogger known as Percy Lapid near his home in Las Piñas City on Oct. 3.
Abalos warned the gunman: “Think again: the mastermind who ordered you to do the murder may do something bad to you. The best you can do is to surrender and let the police take over from here.”
Mabasa, a tough-talking critic of the government, was the second journalist killed under the Marcos administration. His murder sparked calls for swift justice from media colleagues, human rights groups, and foreign governments.
During a press conference at the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) headquarters in Taguig City, Abalos said the enhanced photo had been grabbed from the pool of closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage obtained by the police.
The gunman was wearing a face mask but some of his features, such as the ear, hairline, and forehead, were visible, while the rest of his face was covered.
“Look. You can almost see his face [despite his mask]. His features, his body and build are all shown. I know that soon enough, this person will be arrested,” Abalos told reporters, describing the screenshot photo.
The assassin was seen riding at the back of a motorcycle without a license plate when he shot Mabasa twice in the head less than a kilometer from the victim’s residence at San Beda Homes in Barangay Talon Dos.
Mabasa, 63, was driving his car at the gate of the BF Resort Village along Aria Street at past 8 p.m., intending to visit his studio, when the attack occurred.
The gunman, wearing a pink jacket over a white shirt, was caught on CCTV walking in front of the Las Piñas City Hall near the crime scene at 8:03 p.m., according to Col. Restituto Arcangel, deputy district director for operations of the Southern Police District (SPD) and head of a task force investigating Mabasa’s case.
His accomplice, the driver of the motorcycle, was also captured by the dash camera on the victim’s vehicle, as they waited for Mabasa a few minutes before the shooting.
The two suspects had also been caught on surveillance cameras while tailing the radio broadcaster along the road, the official said.
Also on Friday, the reward money for information on Mabasa’s killers went up to P1.5 million, after businessman and lawyer Alex Lopez pledged P1 million on top of Abalos’ earlier offer of P500,000 of his own money.
The motive for Mabasa’s killing was not yet clear, SPD director Col. Kirby John Kraft said.“We are looking at all angles—personal grudge or if the killing was work-related. But right now, we have no definite motive on the murder,” he said.
Arcangel said Mabasa’s immediate family was not aware if he had received death threats prior to the attack, as he had avoided mentioning work-related problems at home.
‘Eating death threats’
But his brother Roy Mabasa, also a journalist, revealed earlier that Mabasa was often “eating death threats” for his sharp commentary.
Investigators found at the crime scene two empty 45-caliber shells. These are now being cross-matched with firearms used in earlier shooting incidents in Metro Manila and Calabarzon, according to the police.
Investigators are also noting down all the personalities mentioned by Mabasa on his radio program over the past two years for possible clues.
To prevent similar attacks on other journalists, NCRPO chief Brig. Gen. Jonnel Estomo ordered the five police districts in Metro Manila to coordinate with media personalities in their areas to identify threats.
He directed all district directors and chiefs of police to communicate with journalists and determine and address any security concerns.
“We acknowledge the risks involved in the job of our media friends, hence we are duty-bound to protect them,” Estomo said.
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