Surrender of Percy Mabasa's shooter leaves more questions than answers
MANILA, Philippines — Even with the supposed shooter under custody, the Philippine National Police admitted Wednesday that it was left with more questions than answers in the killing of radioman Percy Lapid.
Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos Jr. presented Joel Escorial, initially identified as Estorial, to the press on Tuesday, a day after the latter supposedly surrendered to the police out of fear that he would be recognized.
Speaking in an interview aired over ABS-CBN News Channel's "Headstart" on Wednesday, Police Col. Restituto Arcangel could only give the media assurances that the investigation was still ongoing.
Arcangel, the head of the Special Investigation Task Group assigned to take on the case, admitted that as of now, he did not have answers to the questions raised by the sudden surrender of Escorial, who admitted to being the gunman behind the killing of Lapid, whose real name is Percival Mabasa.
"All our efforts are focused on the documents required in the filing of cases against him with regards to Lapid... Whatever additional revelations come out, we will investigate," he said in mixed Filipino and English.
Earlier, Sen. Bong Revilla urged the PNP to continue its investigation even with the shooter in custody, saying much remains unclear, particularly how the order could have come from inside the national penitentiary.
In a Facebook post late Tuesday night, Police Gen. Rodolfo Azurin, PNP chief congratulated the SITG for what he said was the "immediate custody of the gunman of the Percy Lapid killing and the identification of three other cohorts."
"The surrender of Escorial is a major breakthrough in the death of Percy Lapid and is expected to bring closure to the sensational case," he was quoted as saying by the PNP's public information office.
Escorial underwent inquest proceeding on Tuesday for murder. The resolution on the complaint is expected to come out this week.
The mastermind
The PNP could not provide much information when asked about its line of questioning for Escorial, but said the request of Roy Mabasa, the victim's brother, to speak with the suspect was granted Tuesday night.
A lawyer was also present in the room when Escorial was questioned, Arcangel said, and the confessed gunman was read his Miranda Rights as required under the Revised Police Operational Procedures.
Escorial also claimed that the mastermind in the case and the person who contacted him, supposedly separate people, came from inside the New Bilibid Prison.
Pressed whether or not the police actually asked Escorial about the identity of the perpetrator, Arcangel said: "As far as I know, he did not mention who the mastermind was. He only said who he talked to, and that's what our investigators are following."
Asked how the suspects could have reached out to Escorial if they were behind bars, the police colonel said: "That's what I can't answer right now. As I said, we will pursue that... All of that will be pursued by our investigators."
Arcangel refused to answer the question of Escorial's possible motive, saying the investigation was still ongoing and could be compromised by the release of information.
Escorial's family is also under the PNP's protection, the SITG chief disclosed.
Meanwhile, an investigation has been ordered to look into the claim of Escorial that the hit order came from inside the New Bilibid Prison.
The murder weapon
According to the PNP manual, a case is considered "solved and closed" when the following elements concur:
- the offender has been identified;
- there is sufficient evidence to charge him;
- the offender has been taken into custody;
- and the offender has been charged before the prosecutor's office or court of appropriate jurisdiction
As it stands, Escorial’s cohorts are still at large, and the mastermind of Lapid's killing has yet to be identified.
Arcangel added that Escorial brought his gun, the supposed murder weapon, with him when he turned himself into authorities.
"We're pursuing other cases Escorial and the gun he used might be involved in, we're just waiting for the cross-matching results," he said in Filipino.
It is also unclear why Escorial even kept the gun after the killing, but the PNP was adamant about the merits of his extrajudicial confession.
"For us, we'll base everything on the evidence. Whatever he submitted in his affidavit, he gave that on his own volition and in fact was assisted by his counsel," Arcangel said. — Franco Luna
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