A PERSON deprived of liberty (PDL) was given more jail time after pleading guilty of being an accessory in the murder of radio broadcaster Percival Mabasa also known as Percy Lapid, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said Thursday, December 7, 2023.
In a statement, the DOJ said Denver Mayores, a PDL at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP), was sentenced to two to eight years in prison by Las Piñas Regional Trial Court Judge Harold Huliganga after admitting his participation in the killing of Lapid.
It said Huliganga acknowledged Mayores’ conspiracy with former Bureau of Corrections (Bucor) chief Gerald Bantag and former Bucor deputy security officer Ricardo Zulueta.
As reported earlier, Zulueta allegedly called Mayores, who is detained at the Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm in Palawan, and informed him about the assassination plan against Lapid.
Mayores then tapped Alvin Labra, the commander of the Batang City Jail Gang, who in turn coordinated with Aldrin Galicia, the commander of Sputnik Gang for the execution of the plan.
“The conviction of Mayores, who initially faced a murder complaint as a principal by indispensable cooperation, underscores the complex web of involvement in Lapid's assassination,” the DOJ said.
The DOJ said Galicia, Labra, and Alfie Peñaredonda were also already convicted for their roles in the killing of Lapid. Also charged was their fellow detainee Jun Villamor, who allegedly served as the middleman between the Joel Escorial, the self-confessed gunman in Lapid’s case, and the alleged masterminds, Bantag and Zulueta.
It said Escorial is seeking to reduce his sentence and be transferred to Abuyog prison in Leyte before making his plea, with his case expected to be promulgated in February 2024.
“DOJ prosecutors are currently evaluating the potential impact of reducing Escorial's charges from murder to homicide,” said the DOJ.
“This series of convictions marks a critical point in the DOJ's pursuit of justice in the high-profile murders of Lapid and Villamor. The department remains committed to upholding the rule of law and ensuring a thorough and fair legal process in these cases,” it added.
Bantag and Zulueta both have a standing arrest warrant for the murder of Lapid and Villamor.
Lapid was gunned down on October 3, 2022 in Las Piñas City.
Villamor was killed inside his cell on October 18, the day Escorial surrendered to the police and admitted a hand in the crime following the orders from the NBP.
Before he was killed, Villamor was able to send a text message to his relatives, particularly his sister, identifying those who might kill him.
Bantag has repeatedly denied involvement in the killing of Lapid and Villamor. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)