At the funeral of Percival Mabasa in Paranaque, south of Manila on October 9, 2022. JAM STA ROSA / AFP
It is a serious questioning that the Philippine police brought forward on Monday November 7th, accusing the Director General of the Corrections Administration of ordering the murder of a prominent radio journalist whose death raised the concern of the international community. Percival Mabasa, 63, who went by the name “Percy Lapid” on his show, was killed on October 3 in suburban Manila on his way to his studio.
Police have filed a murder complaint against chief executive Gerald Bantag, who is currently suspended from his duties, and his security assistant, Ricardo Zulueta. Suspected gunman Joel Escorial surrendered to authorities in October, fearing for his safety, after police extricated his face from CCTV footage, officials said.
Mr Bantag “will probably be the most senior official in this country ever to have been indicted in a case of this gravity,” underscored Justice Minister Crispin Remulla. Mr. Bantag allegedly ordered the murder of Mr. Mabasa because “the latter continues to expose the issues against the former on his show,” Eugene Javier of the National Bureau of Investigation told reporters.