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| Vehicle of radio broadcaster Percival Mabasa who was shot dead at the gate of BF Homes Resort in Parañaque at around 8:30pm, Monday night. Two pieces of empty shell of unknown caliber were recovered at the crime scene. Investigation is still ongoing. – ABS CBN NEWS |
MANILA—Veteran radio commentator Percy Lapid is dead after he was shot near his home in Las Piñas City, Monday night.
According to the Southern Police District, Lapid — or Percival Mabasa — was inside his car in Aria St., Brgy. Talon Dos at 8:30 the night before the shooting.
In an interview, Las Pinas Police chief Col. Jaime Santos that a riding-in-tandem approached the victim before shooting him.
“Based on the CCTV footages that we’ve gathered, we saw that there was this motorcycle riding in tandem only who approached and fired upon the victim after which they fled to an unknown destination,” he said.
At the crime scene, two bullet casings were discovered.
Santos claims that the victim resides in a well-known safe area.
The circumstances at the time was extremely, extremely swift, and “we cannot rule out the likelihood that this was a premeditated attack conducted by this riders in tandem.”
Authorities are looking into the crime’s motivation and the offenders’ identities.
According to Santos, they are awaiting a copy of the victim’s smartphone and dashcam footage.
Mabasa formerly provided commentary on the radio for DWIZ 882 KHZ and DWBL 1242 AM.
He is a well-known critic of the Duterte and Marcos Jr. governments.
Activists and members of the media have since condemned the murder.
Carlos Conde, a senior researcher for the Philippines at Human Rights Watch and a former journalist, claims that this is the first murder of a member of the media under the Marcos administration.
