AUTHORITIES arrested the two suspects in the killing of political vlogger Alicia “Mima Alicia” Lipata, Philippine National Police (PNP) Public Information Office chief and spokesperson Colonel Allen Rae Co announced on Thursday, July 23, 2026.
In a press conference, Co said the 58-year-old alleged gunman and his 48-year-old alleged driver were arrested around 8:20 a.m. on Thursday in Barangay Dau, Mabalacat City, Pampanga.
Recovered from the suspects were two hand grenades, a 9 mm pistol, and a .45-caliber pistol believed to have been used in the killing. The firearms will undergo ballistic examination as part of the investigation.
Co said charges for murder, illegal possession of firearms, and illegal possession of explosives will be filed against the suspects.
He said investigators earlier identified the suspects through CCTV footage and witness accounts.
Lipata, 24, was a social media personality known for supporting the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and for posting commentaries critical of Vice President Sara Duterte and other Duterte allies.
She was killed in a predawn attack on Friday, July 17, when two motorcycle-riding assailants shot her in Caloocan City. Her live-in partner was wounded but survived the attack.
Co said investigators are still working to identify the mastermind behind the killing, as the arrested suspects are believed to be members of a gun-for-hire group. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)