Crime scene walkthrough with alleged gunman matched CCTV footage of Percy Lapid slay —police

Police probing the killing of broadcaster Percy Lapid on Tuesday night conducted a crime scene walkthrough with self-confessed gunman Joel Escorial in Las Piñas City.

Interviewed on Dobol B TV on Wednesday, Southern Police District (SPD) director Police Brigadier General Kirby Kraft said Escorial demonstrated how he and three other suspects executed Lapid's killing on October 3.

Kraft said Escorial's statements during the walkthrough matched the CCTV footage obtained by the investigators.

“Kung makikita niyo po 'yung mga nakuha natin na CCTV footage, lahat po ng sinabi niya ay nagtugma doon sa mga kuha natin. Masasabi natin na nandoon siya sa ganung oras, sa ganung panahon,” he said.

(If you can see from the CCTV footage that we obtained, his demonstration matched with our videos. We can say that he was really there at that moment.)

Escorial, who surrendered to the police, also told investigators that they conducted a two-week surveillance on Lapid, whose real name is Percival Mabasa, prior to the killing,

Kraft said the victim’s brother, Roy Mabasa, joined the walkthrough. Mabasa has earlier requested the police for a crime scene walkthrough with Estorial.

Roy asked the alleged gunman some questions like Lapid's expected destination and the location where the fatal shooting occurred.

“Nagkaroon din po ng palitan ng tanong between po doon sa gunman at sa kapatid [ng biktima] na si Sir Roy Mabasa (A conversation also happened between the gunman and Sir Roy Mabasa),” Kraft said.

“Satisfied naman po si Mr. Roy Mabasa [Mr. Roy Mabasa was satisfied],” he added.

Roy said the police granted his request and gave him 30 minutes to confront Escorial and another 30 minutes to join the walkthrough. According to him, he felt mixed emotions when he met Escorial.

“Medyo mixed emotions ako kahapon kasi ang nasa isip ko is how to come out in this scenario na mailabas namin ang katotohanan kasi napakahirap na ako'y nagtitiwala sa taong hindi ko kakilala,” he said in an interview on CNN Philippines.

(I was feeling mixed emotions yesterday because I am thinking how to come out in this scenario that we can uncover the truth because it is hard to trust the person I do not know.)

After he spoke with Escorial, Roy said he was satisfied because the gunman’s demonstration and answers matched the evidence obtained by the police.

Roy said he asked Escorial to fully cooperate with authorities to capture the mastermind behind the killing of his brother. He believes the person inside the New Bilibid Prison who contacted the suspects to kill Lapid, as claimed by Escorial, was just the “middle man”.

Roy believed that a higher person was behind Lapid’s killing.

According to Kraft, Escorial told the police that he received P550,000 through bank transfer after killing Lapid.

“Yun po ang isa niyang claim na may nagbayad po ng P550,000 pero kahapon niya lang po 'yan nasabi [That is one of his claims, that someone paid him P550,000. He disclosed this just yesterday],” he said.

Due to bank secrecy laws, Kraft said the police will convince Escorial to issue authorization so they can check his bank account.

Escorial also claimed that a person deprived of liberty contacted them to kill Lapid, according to Kraft. However, the police official refused to divulge further information as the investigation is still ongoing.

For the three other suspects who are still at large — identified by Escorial as siblings Edmon and Israel Dimaculangan, and a certain Orlando or Orly — Kraft said the police are waiting for the issuance of arrest warrants against them.

Lapid, host of online broadcast program "Percy Lapid Fire" at DWBL 1242 and columnist for Hataw, was shot dead while on his way home in Barangay Talon Dos, Las Piñas City, on October 3.

A P6.5-million reward has been offered in exchange for information that would lead to the arrest of the persons behind the killing. —KBK, GMA News