DILG chief worries about safety of Mabasa killer as bounty reaches P6.5 million

Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos again appealed to the relatives of the alleged gunman in the killing of broadcast journalist Percival Mabasa to surrender the still unidentified suspect because police custody would be safer, especially after the bounty for his arrest has increased to P6.5 million.

“I urge the family [of the suspect]: Surrender him. He will be safer with the police than being out there,” he said on Kapihan sa Manila Bay online forum on Wednesday.

Since a photo of the suspect has received a lot of publicity, Abalos said he was worried that the gunman may be in danger, which will compromise the investigation in identifying the mastermind behind Mabasa’s murder.

“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,” he said.

P5M from lawmakers

The bounty for the capture of Mabasa’s killers also reached P6.5 million after Speaker Martin Romualdez announced a P5-million reward, which will come from “personal contributions” of several congressmen.

Businessman-lawyer Alex Lopez earlier pledged P1 million on top of Abalos’ P500,000 for the reward money.

Southern Police District director Col. Kirby John Kraft said they received “numerous” calls since the photo of the suspect was made public “but all of them were just inquiring about the reward.”

“So far, none of those who called could be considered a solid witness to identify the suspects,” he told the Inquirer on Thursday.

Police have yet to produce the photo of the other suspect, the motorcycle driver, since they were still waiting for the enhanced CCTV footage from the Anti-Cybercrime Group.

The motive of Mabasa’s killing, however, was not yet clear, and investigators are looking into the personalities Mabasa mentioned in his radio program since January last year.

They are also checking if his recent travel to Europe may be connected to the crime. Part of the investigation was also checking Mabasa’s lifestyle and his earnings from being a radio commentator and live streamer.

The .45-caliber slugs from the crime scene are being crossmatched with those recovered from other shooting incidents in Metro Manila and Calabarzon to determine whether the same weapon had been used previously, according to the police.

READ: Mabasa killer warned: ‘Many people know you; give up’