INVESTIGATORS have identified two perpetrators in the killing of political vlogger Alicia “Mima Alicia” Lipata, according to Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief General Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. on Tuesday, July 21, 2026.
Nartatez said the PNP already has a “good case” against the perpetrators, who remain at large.
“The investigators, the probers are hot on their tracks, especially in gathering pieces of evidence that can be collected and used in their prosecution so that they can be convicted,” Nartatez said in a mix of Tagalog and English.
“As of now, we are trying to make some arrests, but as I have said, we already have a good case,” he added in an interview with reporters.
PNP spokesperson Colonel Allen Rae Co said the two perpetrators are believed to be members of a gun-for-hire group.
He said charges are being prepared against the perpetrators, whose identities have not yet been disclosed due to ongoing follow-up operations.
“We cannot give specific details as of now so as not to compromise our operations, as well as the safety of our personnel and the public. However, we will share all the information once we have completed the investigation and police operation,” Co said in a mix of Tagalog and English.
Lipata, 24, a social media personality known for strongly supporting the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and for her commentaries against Vice President Sara Duterte and other Duterte allies, was killed in a predawn attack on Friday, July 17, by two motorcycle-riding men outside her house in Caloocan City.
Her live-in partner survived the shooting and remains hospitalized after undergoing surgery for multiple gunshot wounds. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)