PNP: No foul play in death of Lapid slay suspect

Philippine National Police

The Philippine National Police on Monday ruled out foul play in the death of Ricardo Zulueta, a former Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) official and one of the accused in the killing of radio broadcaster Percival Mabasa, better known as Percy Lapid.

PNP acting public information office chief Col. Jean Fajardo said that based on his death certificate, Zulueta died due to cerebrovascular disease intracranial hemorrhage or bleeding in the head.

The 42-year-old former BuCor official was rushed by his brother to the Bataan Peninsula Medical Center, where he was declared dead at 11 p.m. on Friday.

“His brother brought him to the hospital and even the common-law wife of Mr. Zulueta was with him the night before. He complained of chest pain and they took him to the hospital, but he died,” Fajardo said.

An earlier PNP report said that Zulueta died of “heart failure.” After hearing of his death, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla directed the National Bureau of Investigation to “uncover the truth” behind his passing.

READ: Jail exec in Percy Lapid slay case dies of heart failure

Zulueta and former BuCor chief Gerald Bantag were charged with two counts of murder over the deaths of Lapid and Cristito “Jun Villamor” Palaña in October 2022.

Lapid, a hard-hitting radio and online commentator, was gunned down by two assailants on board a motorcycle while on his way home to Las Piñas City on Oct 3. Palaña, a New Bilibid Prison inmate, was killed a few days later after being implicated in Lapid’s death by a confessed gunman during a media conference arranged by authorities.

In April of the following year, a Muntinlupa court ordered the arrest of Bantag and Zulueta, but both went into hiding.

Fajardo said that Zulueta’s family had promised to cooperate with the PNP regarding what happened to him while he was in hiding, although they asked to be given some time to grieve his passing first. INQ