Police have filed murder charges against Joel Salve Escorial, the confessed gunman in the Oct. 3 killing of radio broadcaster Percival Mabasa in Las Pinas City.
Three others suspects—siblings Edmon and Israel Dimaculangan, and a certain “Orly” or “Orlando”—who are still at large, were also included in the criminal complaint filed by the Las Pinas City police and Mabasa’s brother Roy Mabasa before the Department of Justice (DOJ).
Mabasa said he expected a preliminary hearing in the next few days.
The case was filed a day after the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) presented Escorial, who surrendered to the police and confessed that he was the one who shot the victim.
Escorial also said the order to kill the radio broadcaster came from inside the New Bilibid Prison and that he and his companions were paid a total of P550,000.
“I believe the mastermind was the subject of an expose that Percy discussed,” Roy said in Filipino. “I don’t want to mention anyone here because it might jeopardize the police investigation.”
The police earlier identified the suspect as Joel Estorial but later corrected the spelling of his name to Escorial.
If found guilty, Escorial will be imprisoned for 20 years (reclusion temporal’s maximum period) to life imprisonment—since the death penalty was already abolished.
Members of Special Investigation Task Group Percy Lapid together with Roy conducted a crime scene walkthrough Tuesday night when Escorial narrated how they planned and executed Mabasa’s murder.
Escorial gave a detailed description of where they waited and followed Mabasa, up to where they shot and killed the media man.
Roy, also a journalist, said that he was able to talk to Escorial during the walkthrough and found his account credible.
“I asked him last night what was the motive and who was behind the murder. He said he was contracted by an inmate of the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City to do the hit on the victim,” Roy said.
Roy said he asked the PNP to ensure the safety of Escorial.
Percy was ambushed at around 8:30 p.m. on Oct. 3 along Aria Street in Barangay Talon Dos, Las Pinas City.
“The walkthrough gave us a lot of perspective on how my brother was killed,” Roy said.
Roy added that the suspects made plans and conducted surveillance of his late brother.
Roy said PNP investigators told him that they have secured closed circuit television (CCTV) from a restaurant located near the house of Percy in Las Pinas City.
“They were there at the restaurant for more than four days to monitor the activity of my brother,” he said.
DILG Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. on Wednesday said the results of the ballistics tests and forensic evidence obtained by authorities at the crime scene matched the weapon used by the self-confessed gunman.
Addressing doubts about Escorial’s confession, Abalos said the alleged gunman would not have identified five of his cohorts if he was a “fall guy.”
Abalos also emphasized that Escorial’s confession that the order to kill Mabasa came from inside the New Bilibid Prison does not necessarily mean that these people were the real masterminds in the crime.
“It means that the one who hired him is from the NBP, but there could be someone higher up who made the order,’’ Abalos said.
The DILG chief appealed to the public to alert the police if they see the other suspects, whose pictures have already been published.