On October 3, 2022, Percy Lapid, a radio journalist and radio broadcaster, was shot dead while on his way home in Las Piñas, Metro Manila, Philippines.
Percy Lapid
Percival Carag Mabasa (March 14, 1959 – October 3, 2022), known professionally as Percy Lapid (), was a Filipino journalist and radio broadcaster. He was a critic of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his predecessor, Rodrigo Roa Duterte. He hosted the radio program Lapid Fire on DWBL, where he tackled cases of corruption. He disclosed irregularities regarding the Sugar Regulatory Administration's aborted Sugar Order No. 4 amidst a sugar crisis. The scandal faced by the Marcos administration led to the resignation of the executive secretary Vic Rodriguez in September 2022.
Lapid was vocal against the dangers of red-tagging, a practice where the government attempts to silence journalists and other dissenters by accusing them of being communists. He was also outspoken against disinformation and the government's war on drugs.
Aside from being a DWBL host, Lapid has also been a radio reporter and commentator since 1985 for DWXI, DZME, DWBC, DZRM, DWIZ, and DZRJ and a columnist for the tabloid Hataw.
Killing
Percy Lapid was killed on October 3, 2022, at around 8:30 pm (UTC+8) while he was driving on his way home to BF Resort Village, a gated community in Las Piñas. There was a traffic buildup at the subdivision's gate near Aria Street in Barangay Talon 2 due to the routine inspection of all vehicles for a sticker required for entry into the subdivision. A motorcycle with two people on board approached Lapid's vehicle in the queue, and the gunman from this motorcycle fired two shots at Lapid, killing Lapid instantly. Lapid's vehicle was about from the gate when the incident occurred.
Lapid was the third journalist in the Philippines to be killed in 2022, according to data from UNESCO, and the second during the presidency of Bongbong Marcos, according to the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines.
Perpetrators
Two motorcycle-riding men were seen being involved in Lapid's killing. The police identified one "person-of-interest", a man wearing a pink jacket who was walking near the Las Piñas City Hall, about five minutes away from Lapid's home. Department of the Interior and Local Government Secretary Benhur Abalos believed the killer to be a professional gunman.
Joel Escorial surrendered to the authorities on October 17, 2022, and confessed to being the gunman in Lapid's killing. He implicated brothers Edmon and Israel Dimaculangan as his partners in crime, and stated that they received orders from an individual named "Orlando" or "Orly", who in turn answered to another person detained inside the New Bilibid Prison, later identified as Jun Villamor. Christopher Bacoto, also known as Jerry Sandoval, has been alleged as another middleman who tasked Escorial, the Dimaculangan brothers, and "Orly", with the killing of Lapid.
The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) would file charges against several people in connection with Lapid's death, including Bureau of Corrections Director General Gerald Bantag who was formally charged with murder.
Bantag maintained innocence and alleges that drug lord German Agojo was responsible for the killing.
In March 2023, the Department of Justice indicted a total of seventeen individuals over the killings of Lapid and Villamor. Double murder charges were separately filed before the Regional Trial Courts of Muntinlupa (on the case of Villamor) on March 13, and of Las Piñas (that of Lapid) on March 14. The panel of prosecutors said it found probable cause to charge Bantag and his deputy, Sr. Supt. Ricardo Zulueta, as "principal by inducement." Also indicted as principals are: Two "persons deprived of liberty" (PDLs) involved in both cases (by indispensable cooperation in Lapid case; by inducement in Villamor case). In Lapid case: Four by direct participation, including Escorial; three more PDLs by indispensable cooperation. In Villamor case: Six PDLs by direct participation.
In April, Muntinlupa RTC Branch 266 issued an arrest warrant against Bantag and Zulueta for the murder of Villamor. Las Piñas RTC Branch 254 also issued the same against the two as well as the Dimaculangan brothers and alias Orly/Orlando for the murder of Mabasa. The manhunt against them is ongoing.