Lapid slay brains to be identified – Mabasa
By J.Lo
"To be frank, there were names mentioned but I am not at liberty to reveal them…we'll let DoJ finish their work, including NBI and Philippine National Police... I think they will make an announcement in the coming days," Roy Mabasa, brother of the late broadcaster Percival Mabasa told reporters after the case conference law enforcement agencies have identified alleged masterminds in Mabasa slay.
Roy said names of those behind the killing were mentioned during case conference that he attended with Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla and National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Medardo de Lemos at the Department of Justice (DoJ).
At the same time, lawyer Berteni Causing, spokesman for Mabasa family, said DoJ gave its assurance that formal charges will be filed against individuals involved in the death of Lapid by Friday, November 4.
Mabasa stressed authorities will most possibly file separate charges against those directly involved in the death of Cristito "Jun" Villamor, the alleged middleman in the Lapid slay case, who died a day after self-confessed gunman Joel Escorial surrendered to authorities.
The independent autopsy conducted by forensic pathologist Dr. Raquel Fortun earlier supported speculations of foul play in the sudden death of Villamor.
In her pathological diagnosis, Fortun said based on available information regarding circumstances surrounding the death of the alleged middleman, "the manner is homicide."
She noted that there was information provided that Villamor expressed fear for his life shortly before his death, and that he died from suffocation by means of a plastic bag over his head.
"The autopsy findings showed no gross morphologic cause of death and this is consistent with the reported asphyxia," Fortun said.
In its initial autopsy report, NBI ruled out any foul play in the death of Villamor after it determined that there were "no apparent sign of external physical injury" on his body and pointed to possible heart problem as the cause of his death.
Mabasa said the findings of Fortun in the second autopsy she conducted will greatly help in solving the case.
"Dr. Fortun's findings will be of great help because we saw there that natural death was not the cause of death of one of the middlemen…that's really helpful in finding out who are really involved," he said.
Meanwhile, Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) Officer in Charge Gregorio Catapang Jr. disclosed 13 persons deprived of liberty have been identified as persons of interest in the ongoing investigation into the killing of Lapid.
In a press conference at the NBP in Muntinlupa City, Catapang said there were initially four persons of interest followed by seven inmates.
He said two more were added recently, one from the Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm in Palawan and another who was being kept with the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
Catapang will determine if any of the mobile phones of NBP inmates that are now in the agency's custody belong to Villamor.
According to Escorial, Villamor contracted him using mobile phone when he allegedly gave instructions to kill Lapid.
Catapang issued this statement after thousands of illegal items were either surrendered or seized from inmates by BuCor personnel, including numerous mobile phones.
"We will have forensics done," Catapang said. "Hopefully, it's one of those that we have in our custody."
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