Police sets record straight: There are 2 middlemen in Percy Lapid’s slay

Percival Mabasa —video grab from FB page of Percy Lapid Fire

MANILA, Philippines — There are apparently two middlemen who worked for the ambush-slay of Percival Mabasa, more popularly known as Percy Lapid, one of them is secured at a Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) facility, while the other recently died at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP).

Brig. Gen. Kirby Kraft, Southern Police District director, clarified this on Thursday during a press conference with the Philippine National Police (PNP) and Interior Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr.

“For everybody’s information, if you recall, the gunman said he worked with six others, so there were two middlemen who contacted them. One is here in the BJMP and we secured him, while the other is being subjected to an autopsy,” Kraft said in a mix of English and Filipino.

Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla earlier confirmed that one of the supposed middlemen, a 42-year-old inmate at the NBP, died in the prison hospital on Tuesday, October 18.

READ: DOJ chief Remulla: ‘Middleman in prison’ in Percy Lapid slay already dead 

While this may seem like a dead end, Abalos reassured the public that police were still actively searching for Israel and Edmon Dimaculangan, along with a  certain “Orly” or “Orlando,” who Joel Escorial, the confessed gunman, had previously identified as his accomplices.

“Nag-uusap-usap kami rito kung anong magiging epekto nito sa kaso. May mga testigo pa naman tayo ngayon na nandito. Huwag kayong mag-alala,” he said.

(We are talking about how this will affect the case, but we still have our witnesses here, so don’t worry.)

Abalos also made it clear that Escorial is “in very safe hands” under the custody of the PNP.

Lapid, known for his scathing commentaries on DWBL 1242’s “Lapid Fire,” was gunned down near the gate of a BF Resort Village in Las Piñas City at around 8:30 p.m. on October 3.

His death sparked a torrent of condemnation from journalists, government officials, lawmakers, and groups who all renewed the call to end attacks against the media.

JPV/abc