Liza Mabasa grieves for her husband, radio commentator Percy Lapid whose real name is Percival Mabasa, a day after he was gunned down in Las Piñas City on Oct. 3, 2022. Mabasa is the second journalist to have died during the Marcos administration, adding to a long list of journalists killed in the country since 1986. Mores Heramis, ABS-CBN News
MANILA — The family of Percival Mabasa wants the Bureau of Corrections to be held accountable following the death of an alleged middleman who supposedly ordered the broadcaster's assassination.
According to Roy Mabasa, brother of the murdered radioman, suspected middleman Crisanto Villamor, Jr. could have led them to the mastermind.
"'Yung ganitong pangyayari, this would give us a very low morale. The family is now so distraught and hindi namin alam kung saan kami magsisimula and we do not know whom to trust," he told ANC's "Headstart" Friday.
For Mabasa, what happened to Villamor at the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City is "unacceptable".
"There's something wrong with the Bureau of Corrections at siguro dapat may managot dito, especially ang daming namamatay diyan na high-profile criminals under suspicious circumstances," he said.
The family is mulling a separate autopsy on Villamor to determine his cause of death.
Meanwhile, the alleged second middleman involved in the death of the broadcaster, more known as Percy Lapid, is also not cooperating to authorities.
Mabasa however noted that the suspect is "fully secured" and under the custody of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology.
The suspect supposedly gathered the accomplices, including the 2 siblings who conducted surveillance on the victim.
"Ito 'yung nagdugtong-dugtong ng ibang mga tao kasi may mga ibang characters dun sa kuwento ng gunman," he said.
Following Villamor's death, Mabasa lamented that the justice system in the country is not working.
"Sa nangyari na'to, it just shows na the justice system here is not really functioning," he said. "Kasi nakikita mo, in broad daylight, namamatay na lang 'yung isang tao nang hindi natin alam kung ano ang circumstances."
Lapid, a commentator on DWIZ 882 KHZ and DWBL 1242 AM, was killed by motorcycle-riding assailants on Oct. 3 in Las Piñas City.
He was a critic of the Duterte administration, as well as of some policies and officials of the Marcos' administration.
According to an international watchdog, the Philippines is among the most dangerous countries for media practitioners.
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