Photo grabbed from Facebook Livestream of Kapihan sa Manila Bay News Forum
MANILA, Philippines – Interior Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. on Wednesday urged the suspect’s relatives in the killing of a broadcast journalist to surrender him to police authorities.
“Panawagan ko sa mga kamag-anak ng tao: Isuko niyo na. He will be safer with the police than being out there,” he said during the Kapihan sa Manila Bay news forum.
(I am appealing to the relatives of the person: surrender him. He will be safer with the police than being out there).
Since the killing of Mabasa, also known as Percy Lapid, the suspect’s face has received a lot of publicity, and Abalos is quite worried that he may be in danger.
READ: Percy Lapid slay case: Reward up at P6.5M, new photo of ‘person of interest’ out
“There is really progress right now… kaya sabi ko, ‘dapat mahanap niyo ang tao na ito, baka mamaya nag-utos dito, may gawin dito eh.’ Dahil his face is all over,” Abalos said.
(There is real progress right now… that is why I said, ‘we should find the person, maybe the person who ordered him might do something to him.’ Because his face is all over).
After reports surfaced of media professionals being harassed and attacked online in the wake of Lapid’s death, reporters asked Abalos about the Department of the Interior and Local Government’s safeguards for journalists.
“Bring them over to our cybercrime. I will ask our police to take note of this, and we could trace this; we could trace this,” said Abalos.
He added that the DILG was also open to helping journalists if they were receiving threats.