MANILA, Philippines — The National Capital Region Police Office said Tuesday that they formed a Special Investigation Task Force to conduct a probe into the shooting of radio broadcaster Percival Mabasa.
Percival Mabasa, better known as Percy Lapid, was shot dead on Monday at the gate of BF Resort Village in Talon Dos, Las Piñas. A spot report by Las Pinas police says he was driving along Aria St. on board his black Toyota Innova at around 8:30 p.m. when he was shot by two male suspects on board a motorcycle without a plate number.
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According to the NCRPO, the task group will be composed of personnel from the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group and the PNP Intelligence Group.
In a statement sent to reporters, Police Brig. Gen. Jonnel Estomo, Metro Manila police chief said he gave Police Col. Jaime Santos, the chief of Las Pinas City Police, a deadline of 24 hours to "shed light on the matter and solve the case."
"NCRPO acknowledges the indispensable part of our media friends in fair, truthful and timely dissemination of information to multitudes of audience. We will update the public in any smallest detail as to the development of the investigation," Estomo said.
In a separate statement issued earlier Tuesday morning, the Philippine National Police vowed to bring justice for Lapid and said an investigation is underway to find the suspects behind the killing.
It added that Las Piñas police have formed a special task force “to spearhead and coordinate the investigative and prosecutorial efforts of the PNP.”
Join us in condemning another murder of a journalist.
— NUJP (@nujp) October 4, 2022
Justice for Percy Lapid! pic.twitter.com/prytGWY2cO
'Do not shoot the messenger'
In a separate statement, the Presidential Task Force on Media Security said that while it is "still too early to establish the exact motive behind the incident," it would presume the killing to be "work-related" as a matter of procedure.
Mabasa's last few videos were commentaries on former Executive Secretary Vic Rodriguez, former presidential bet Isko Moreno, and the Duterte administration.
In his second to the last live stream, Mabasa spoke of a brief word war with Moreno, who posted photos of Mabasa's face calling him "fake news." His last video also talked about the killing and red-tagging of lawyers.
"If you red-tag someone, there's a chance they get killed, their family too. How many fiscals, judges and lawyers were killed in the time of Digong? Count it, and then tell me it was a proper government," he said.
The radio personality has also commented on the profitability and crime in Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators, and the effects of former president Rodrigo Duterte's tough-talking press conferences.
"Like they say, do not shoot the messenger. Why would you go after the media? If they write something it should have a basis, because there's a standard they follow. There's a standard we follow and there's a consequence if you write something that isn't true," Mabasa said in mixed Filipino and English in one of his last episodes.