Alleged Percy Lapid gunman under WPP? Remulla says 'very possible'

Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla on Thursday said the self-confessed gunman behind the killing of broadcaster Percy Lapid may enter the Witness Protection Program if he will identify the mastermind.

"That's very possible. Kung talagang 'yun lang ang paraan para matapos natin ang kaso, considered po 'yan. 'Yan po'y napag-uusapan at 'yan po ay talaga namang dadaan din sa scrutiny ng court," Remulla told Dobol B TV.

(That’s very possible. If that’s the only way that we can resolve the case, we will consider that. We can talk about it and it will undergo the scrutiny of the court.)

Lapid, whose real name is Percival Mabasa and host of online broadcast program "Percy Lapid Fire" at DWBL 1242 and columnist for Hataw, was shot dead by two men while on his way home in Las Piñas City on October 3.

Joel Escorial, his alleged gunman, surrendered to the police earlier this week. He identified his accomplices as Israel Dimaculangan, Edmund Dimaculangan, and Orlando, who are all still at large.

The Philippine National Police has filed murder complaints against Escorial and the others.

According to Remulla, Escorial is considered a principal suspect in the killing. He said Escorial surrendered out of fear for his life and not because the government offered to make him a star witness.

NBI probe

Remulla said that Escorial’s allegation that the call came from within the New Bilibid Prison is also being investigated by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).

"Pinatitignan ko po ngayon yan at actually, dalawang anggulo ho yan. NBI (National Bureau of Investigation) will conduct its own independent investigation. Nag-iimbestiga na ho sila. Ang isa pang angulo kasi, ang sinabi sa akin ni secretary Abalos nung isang araw ay BJMP (Bureau of Jail Management and Penology) raw ang nakausap nung gunman," he said.

(I am looking into that and, actually, there are two angles there. The NBI will conduct its own independent investigation. They have already started. The other angle, as Interior Secretary Abalos told me the other day, is that the gunman talked to someone from the BJMP.)

Interviewed on Unang Balita on Thursday, Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa said the Senate is set to conduct its own investigation in November. —KBK, GMA News