PNP: BuCor's Bantag among 160 persons of interest in Percy Lapid slay

Around 160 personalities, including suspended Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) chief Director General Gerald Bantag, are considered persons of interest in the killing of broadcaster Percy Lapid, police said Monday.

At a press briefing in Camp Crame, Philippine National Police chief Rodolfo Azurin Jr. said the personalities were criticized by Lapid during his program.

According to Azurin, police investigators reviewed the 600 postings of Lapid where he called out these people, which included politicians and military and police officials.

"'Yung nabanggit ko na out of the 160 na mga personalities doon na mga nakasama doon sa issues doon sa programa ni Sir Percy Lapid, ay lahat po 'yun persons of interest," he said.

(The 160 people I mentioned who are involved in issues discussed by Sir Percy Lapid in his program are all persons of interest.)

According to Azurin, the police are determining who among these personalities were most frequently discussed in Lapid’s program.

“Nang sa ganun, makikita natin sino ba yung mga pinaka may issue na puwedeng magpagawa nun kay [Lapid],” Azurin said.

(So we can see who among them have the biggest issue against Lapid and ordered him killed.)

When asked if these personalities include Bantag, Azurin said, "Oo, kasama siya."

GMA News Online has reached out to Bantag for his comment, but he has yet to respond as of posting time.

Bantag was suspended last week following the death of the alleged middleman — an inmate in the New Bilibid Prison — in the killing.

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 Las Piñas City on October 3. 

The alleged gunman, Joel Escorial, has surrendered to the police and is now facing charges. 

Investigators have yet to identify the mastermind and the motive behind the killing. —KBK, GMA News