MANILA — The brother of Percival "Percy Lapid" Mabasa on Thursday expressed dismay over the death of an alleged "middleman" in the killing of the broadcaster, lamenting what he says is the Marcos Jr. administration's seeming lack of interest in the case.
"Iyong sa akin lang po ay siguro iyong panawagan ko noong umpisa na ang Pangulo mismo ang manguna rito. Eh, palibhasa hindi yata nakikinig ang pangulo eh. Kaya po nagkakaganito ito sapagkat ang pakiramdam ko ay parang wala yatang interes ang Malacañang," Roy Mabasa told ABS-CBN's TeleRadyo.
"Kung kayo ay interesado rito sa kasong ito, babantayan niyo ang bawat hakbang nito. Sino ba ang kumukumpas dito sa kaso? Hindi ko maintindihan eh," he added.
Percival, a commentator on DWIZ 882 KHZ and DWBL 1242 AM, was killed by motorcycle-riding suspects on the night of Oct. 3 in Las Pinas City. Police said it is highly probable the crime is work-related.
Roy, a journalist, had called on President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. to lend his voice to the call for justice for his brother.
But while Marcos said at an event organized by the Manila Overseas Press Club last Oct. 5 that his administration will support and protect the rights of the media, he did not mention the case of Mabasa.
"Nalungkot nga tayo kasi wala namang nabanggit dun na specifics. In fact, ni hindi nga nabanggit 'yung kaso ni Ka Percy dun sa gathering ng mga mamamahayag which is for me very ironic. Very ironic sa akin 'yun," Roy had said after listening to Marcos' speech.
Mabasa was a critic of the Duterte administration, as well as of some policies and officials of the Marcos' administration.
Amid a lack of statement directly from Marcos, Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin visited the wake of Mabasa to personally convey to the family the message of the president.
Roy had said that Marcos, through Bersamin, has also offered to provide security to Mabasa's family.
"Sinabi niya na ang Pangulo ay very much concerned about this case dahil ito nga 'yung kakaibang kaso na under this new administration, pangalawang media killing at ito ay nangyari sa Metro Manila, tsaka sa isang middle and upscale subdivision," Roy said in the same week his brother was killed.
During Thursday's interview on TeleRadyo, Roy also lamented the supposed lack of coordination between the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor).
"Parang merong nangyaring hindi maganda diyan between the PNP and the BuCor. Hahayaan natin ang PNP at ang BuCor magpalabas ng kanilang mga statement itong mga susunod na araw sapagkat ito ay clearly na kapalpakan sa coordination," he said.
On Wednesday, Roy urged authorities to secure the alleged middleman amid fears that the person could end up to be another dead inmate like what happened to some high-profile detainees at the New Bilibid Prison.
He issued the call after the alleged surrender of the self-confessed gunman in his brother's killing, Joel Escorial, who claimed that the person who reached out to them for commission of the crime was someone inside the NBP.
"I hope hindi natin palalagpasin itong pagkakataon na maiharap ito (middleman), at makunan ng sariling statement, at maituro sa mas lalong madaling panahon kung sino yung mastermind," Roy said in an interview also on ABS-CBN's TeleRadyo.
"Kasi, kinakabahan tayo kapag ang kwento ay 'galing sa Bilibid', sapagkat sariwa pa sa ating kaisipan yung namatay na mga high-profile inmates diyan sa loob ng Bilibid. Especially nung kasagsagan ng COVID, idineklarang puro COVID ang sakit ng mga ito (kaya) namatay, na abo na lang ang makikita natin. Samakatuwid, natatakot tayong maging ganun ang kauuwian nitong ating middle man," he added.
Following the presentation of Escorial to the public last Tuesday, Roy said he told Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos to secure the alleged contact or suspected middleman at the national penitentiary, warning that if something happens to that person, "we'll all be facing the dead end."
The middleman, according to Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin "Boying" Remulla, died Tuesday afternoon.
Roy described the alleged middleman's death as a "turn for the worse" for the case, given the "major breakthrough" that occurred on the same day when Escorial publicly confessed to killing his brother.
"Sobrang lungkot po ng pamilya namin sa pangyayaring ito. Hindi po namin maubos maisip kung papaanong nangyayari ito sa supposedly ay isang sibilisadong bansa na kagaya natin," he said.
"Nanlulumo po kami sapagkat napakalaking breakthrough sana itong mga developments na nangyayari. Ilang araw pa lamang ay meron nang mamamatay na supposedly vital dito sa magiging kaso na isinampa natin," he added.
Roy said that as of writing, his family is talking with their legal counsel and concerned organizations on the direction they will take on the case following Thursday's development.
"Hindi po kasi namin alam saan kami magsisimula uli matapos nito. Kaya sana hayaan niyo po sana akong makipag-usap muna at ako naman ay nangangako na kung ano ang aming makuha sa kanila ay kami po ay babalik sa inyo," he said.