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EXCLUSIVE: ‘Middleman’ revealed who gave Percy Lapid hit order: sister

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Joyce Balancio, ABS-CBN News

<h3><strong>Alleged intermediary&#x27;s sister placed under Witness Protection Program </strong></h3><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=2306566" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div><p>MANILA (2nd UPDATE) — An alleged middleman revealed to his sister details on who gave the hit order against journalist Percival &quot;Percy Lapid&quot; Mabasa, she told ABS-CBN News, before she was placed under the custody of the Department of Justice on Monday.</p><p>The supposed intermediary Jun Villamor, an inmate at the National Bilibid Prison, died last Tuesday, just hours after an alleged hitman confessed to having shot Mabasa. </p><p>Villamor&#x27;s sister, alias &quot;Marisa&quot;, said her brother seemed to know that he would die after confessed gunman Joel Escorial surrendered to authorities. </p><p>She said that though Villamor was behind bars, he had a cellphone and sent her a message before he died at the Bilibid Hospital. </p><p>&quot;Noong [October] 18 po, 11:59, bigla siyang nag-message sabi niya, &#x27;Te, kung may mangyari sa sakin kapag namatay ako, ingatan po daw itong sikreto. &#x27;Pag namatay ako ilabas mo ito pero hangga&#x27;t buhay ako itago mo ito... Kapag nawala ako, iparating kina Joel na ang nag-utos 3 na commander dito, Sputnik, Happy Go Lucky at BCJ,&#x27;&quot; Marisa said, referring to 3 Bilibid gangs.</p><p>(On Oct. 18, he suddenly texted me, &quot;Ate, whatever happens to me, take care of this secret. If I die, reveal it. But as long as I am alive, don&#x27;t. When I go, tell Joel that it was ordered by 3 commanders here, Sputnik, Happy Go Lucky and BCJ.)</p><p>&quot;Galing sa opisina ang utos sa kanila,&quot; she continued. </p><p>(The order was from the office.)</p><p>Asked what she meant by the order coming from the &quot;office&quot;, Marisa said, &quot;Doon sa ano nila — sa doon sa Bilibid (there in their — there in Bilibid).&quot; </p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/10/24/22/suspended-bucor-chief-a-person-of-interest-in-lapid-slay">Suspended BuCor chief Bantag a ‘person of interest’ in Lapid killing</a></li></ul><div><strong>LINKS AMONG MIDDLEMEN, HITMAN </strong></div><p>Marisa said his brother had long known Escorial and a certain Christopher Bacoto, who is allegedly another middleman involved in the murder plot. </p><p>&quot;Magka-barrio naman iyong si Joel. Tapos isang middleman na sinasabi, si Christopher Bacoto, taga-kabilang barrio naman,&quot; she said. </p><p>(Joel and my brother are from the same barrio. The other alleged middleman, Christopher Bacoto, is from a neighboring village.)</p><p>Authorities earlier said they secured the second middleman, who is detained at a Bureau of Jail Management and Penology facility. </p><p>Marisa said she was not surprised when her brother was tagged in Mabasa&#x27;s killing. </p><p>Villamor is in prison for murder. </p><p>&quot;Iyong mga kasama niya, si Joel at si Bacoto, may mga ano na rin iyan dati eh [kaso], na ganoon. Baka nga siguro. Kasi sinasabi &#x27;di ba po sa balita na parang pinagpanggap lang? Sa tingin ko totoo iyon, kaya lang si Joel sumuko kasi natatakot,&quot; Marisa said. </p><p>(Joel and Bacoto also had cases. It&#x27;s possible. Some are saying they are just fall guys. I think they were really involved. It&#x27;s just that Joel surrendered because he got scared.) </p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/10/23/22/escorials-passbook-supports-claim-about-p550000-fee-for-lapid-slay">Escorial&#x27;s passbook supports claim about P550,000-fee for Lapid slay - police</a></li></ul><div><strong>THREATS</strong></div><p>Marisa said she wanted the mastermind to be found. But she said she and her other siblings feared for their safety after receiving messages from an anonymous sender. </p><p>&quot;Nag-text na hindi kilalang number, tinatanong po, &#x27;Nagtext ba, o tumawag sa inyo — iyong pangalan ng kapatid ko.&#x27; Binaligtad iyon Edoy, kasi Edoy ang palayaw niya, binaligtad niya. Tapos sabi ko naman kung kakilala namin, hindi ganoon ang sasabihin na pangalan,&quot; she said. </p><p>(An unknown number texted us, asking, &quot;Did you get a text or call from Edoy.&#x27; My brother&#x27;s nickname was Edoy, but it was spelled differently. I said if we really know the sender, his name would not have been spelled that way.) </p><p>Marisa said she was also puzzled why her other sibling was barred from seeing Villamor&#x27;s body at the morgue and was instead only shown a photograph of his face.</p><p>&quot;Mayroon pa daw nagsabi sa kanya doon na bantay o pulis na mag-iingat ka... parang may tinatago sila.&quot;</p><p>(Someone, a guard or police there said, be careful. They seem to be hiding something.) </p><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HfKW2VxKd3w?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div><div><strong>MARISA UNDER WITNESS PROTECTION</strong></div><p>Marisa went to Manila on Saturday and sought help from Sen. Raffy Tulfo and Social Welfare Secretary Erwin Tulfo. </p><p>Secretary Tulfo brought Marisa to Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla on Monday afternoon, said DOJ spokesperson Mico Clavano. </p><p>&quot;Agad-agad po namin ini-secure, pinasok ho agad natin sa Witness Protection Program [si Marisa]. Ngayon po ay ipapasok pa po natin &#x27;yan sa temporary shelter para maproteksyunan,&quot; Clavano told ABS-CBN&#x27;s TeleRadyo. </p><p>(We immediately secured her and placed her in the Witness Protection Program. We will bring her to a temporary shelter for protection.)</p><p>Marisa revealed information &quot;relevant to the case,&quot; he added.</p><p>&quot;There was a vetting process done also by the Witness Protection Program... Nalaman ho na iyong risk or threat to her life was enough, na eligible po siya pumasok sa Witness Protection Program,&quot; added the official. </p><p>(We found that the risk or threat to her life was enough to make her eligible to enter the Witness Protection Program.) </p><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=2306553" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div><p>The National Bureau of Investigation found no gunshot wounds and no external physical injuries on the body of Villamor. Instead, it found a hemorrhagic area in the left ventricle of the heart. </p><p>The Bureau of Corrections ruled out foul play. But on Monday morning, forensic pathologist Dr. Raquel Fortun told ANC that the 2-page memo is not a technical report and cannot be considered conclusive.</p><p>Fortun also said there were no findings about the head or the brain of Villamor, and if asphyxia or the loss of oxygen had been looked into.</p><p>Fortun questioned why the body was embalmed before it was autopsied, noting the effect of chemicals on the tissue samples which are to undergo histopathology and toxicology exams.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/video/news/10/24/22/forensic-pathologist-casts-doubt-on-lapid-slay-middlemans-autopsy">&#x27;So vague:&#x27; Forensic pathologist casts doubt on Lapid slay middleman&#x27;s autopsy</a></li></ul><p>Remulla said he spoke to Fortun and she “basically” agreed to conduct the re-autopsy.</p><p>The DOJ &quot;hadn&#x27;t received any information&quot; on the whereabouts of the cellphone that Villamor supposedly used to contact his sister, said Clavano. </p><div><strong> — With a report from Mike Navallo, ABS-CBN News </strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=2303586" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div>

The sister of an alleged middleman in the murder plot against Percy Lapid was placed under DOJ custody, authorities confirmed to ABS-CBN News.

EXCLUSIVE: ‘Middleman’ revealed who gave Percy Lapid hit order: sister

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EXCLUSIVE: ‘Middleman’ revealed who gave Percy Lapid hit order: sister

Joyce Balancio,

ABS-CBN News

Published October 24, 2022 04:28 PM PHT

|

Updated October 24, 2022 07:33 PM PHT

Read More:

Percival Mabasa

Percy Lapid

crime

shooting

press

media

death threats

Joel Escorial

gunman

middleman

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