MANILA — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Wednesday said he was not convinced that an alleged middleman in the killing of broadcaster Percival "Percy Lapid" Mabasa died of natural causes inside the national penitentiary.

Jun Villamor, an inmate in the New Bilibid Prison, died hours after confessed gunman Joel Escorial told reporters that he shot Mabasa on the orders of someone from the penitentiary. Escorial later identified Villamor as the supposed middleman in the murder plot.

“The toxicology report came back, mukha talagang walang lason o gamot na ibinigay sa namatay but I’m still not satisfied that it was natural causes… because there are ways to kill a person that would not show up in the medico-legal so tuloy-tuloy pa ang imbestigasyon,” Marcos told reporters in a chance interview in a Manila hotel.

(It seems that no poison or drugs were given to the deceased but I’m still not satisfied that it was natural causes… because there are ways to kill a person that would not show up in the medico-legal, so the investigation continues.)

• NBI autopsy on alleged middleman in Percy Lapid killing — No gunshot wound, no COVID; possible heart problem
• PNP chief doubts middleman in Lapid’s killing died in his sleep

Marcos also belied insinuations that he was silent on the case, saying he simply did not want to meddle with police work.

“I have been monitoring, I talk to DOJ [Secretary Jesus Crispin] Remulla and DILG [Secretary Benhur] Abalos 3 to 4 times a day and each time, we talk about this,” the President said.

“We do not have any particular directives. The police know what to do. I’ll just get in the way,” he added.

• Percy Lapid's brother laments death of 'middleman' in broadcaster's slay

Marcos said he told authorities to keep on digging for possible leads until they could pinpoint the motive and the mastermind behind Lapid’s murder.

“Imbestigahan ninyong mabuti iyan, alamin ninyong mabuti who is behind this kasi hanggang ngayon hindi pa rin tayo nakakasiguro,” the President said.

“More importantly is to trace kung saan nanggaling ito, who gave the order, sino nagbigay sa preso ng orderin ang shooter na gawin ito at bakit,” he said.

(Investigate that thoroughly, find out who is behind this because until now, we are not yet sure. More importantly is to trace where this came from, who gave the order, who told inmates to order the shooter to do this and why.)

A sibling of Villamor earlier told ABS-CBN News that her brother claimed the hit order was coursed through the "commanders" of 3 Bilibid jail gangs.

"Galing sa opisina ang utos sa kanila," she said, quoting text messages from her brother, who had a cellphone even though he was behind bars.

(The order was from the office.)

Asked what she meant by the order coming from the "office", Marisa said, "Doon sa ano nila — sa doon sa Bilibid (there in their — there in Bilibid)."

• EXCLUSIVE: ‘Middleman’ revealed who gave Percy Lapid hit order: sister

Government has placed Villamor’s kin under the Witness Protection Program after receiving several threats through text messages.

Authorities said they have yet to find Villamor's cellphone.

Mabasa was shot dead in Las Piñas on Oct. 3 as he drove to work. He was the second journalist to be killed since Marcos took office on June 30.

Police said the killing was likely related to Mabasa's work.

• Police: 'Highly probable' that Percy Lapid's slay was work-related

RELATED VIDEO:

Watch more News on iWantTFC