Ilang grupo ng mga mamamahayag ang nagpahayag ng kanilang saloobin sa pagkamatay ng itinuturong middleman sa pagpaslang sa broadcaster na si Percival "Percy Lapid" Mabasa sa loob ng New Bilibid Prison.

Ayon kay National Union of Journalists of the Philippines Chairperson Jonathan de Santos, ang insidente ay makapagpapabagal ito sa pagresolba sa kaso at dapat umanong ipaliwanag ng mga kinauukulan ang pangyayari, lalo't "suspicious" aniya ang timing ng pagkamatay ng umano'y middleman na si Crisanto Villamor Jr., at kung may kailangang managot ay panagutin ito.

"Concerning ito, syempre. We don't really want to jump into conclusions, but we cannot discount din that his death does raise questions," saad ni De Santos. "Magiging challenge ito to finding the mastermind of the killing of Ka Percy. Hindi natin maiiwasan magkaroon ng mga tanong kung paano nangyari 'yun. In a way, either very convenient or very bad timing 'yung pagkamatay ng middleman."

"Nakakalungkot siya in the sense na nabawasan 'yung chance siguro, or nabawasan 'yung likelihood that mare-resolve 'yung case na ito quickly," dagdag pa niya.

Sinabi naman ni Vergel Santos, miyembro ng board ng Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility na "maanomalya" ang pagkamatay ng umano'y middleman sa NBP.

"I find this both anomalous and ridiculous, because it had been known before hand that here was a man who knew the mastermind. The very fact that he was in state custody, in fact in prison, gave no one any excuse to lose him. But they lost him all the same… I find it incredible," sabi ni Santos.

"It's just so scandalous and so it puts in even greater danger news people who practice their profession only properly, boldly," dagdag niya.

"Journalists must come together and make truly bold representations to the authorities to look at these things more seriously. I don't see enough seriousness in the official campaign," sabi pa ni Santos.

"I prefer to call out to my fellows, you and other journalists to close ranks and to stay firm and actually regard this not as a threat but as an inspiration to do better in the service of our constitutional duty."

"We don't want to say na tapos na itong kasong ito o wala nang mangyayari. Kasi we have shown naman in the case of the Ampatuan massacre, that 'yung mahabang struggle could lead pa rin to justice, could lead pa rin to victories for us. So hindi natin bibitawan ito," sabi naman ni de Santos. "Definitely mapapatagal niya yung call for justice, but that doesn't mean, or hindi naman mababawasan 'yung determination natin to see this case through, to monitor for developments."

Ganito rin ang panawagan ng journalism professor sa University of the Philippines-Diliman na si Danilo Arao.

"Magkakaroon ng hustisya kapag tinututukan ito, hindi lang ng Pilipinas, kundi ng buong mundo. Kaya lang syempre, oras na mag-die down ang issue, matutulad ito sa ilan pang unresolved killings na maaaring naaresto o napakulong yung mga bumaril, pero 'yung mastermind mismo ay hindi malinaw," sabi ni Arao.

"Kaya ang hamon natin sa media, at sa iba pang solidarity groups sa iba't ibang bahagi ng mundo, 'wag sanang bitawan ang kasong ito, 'wag sanang hayaang mag-die down ang issue na ito, bagamat alam ko naman na maraming problemang kinakaharap ang ating bayan," dagdag pa niya.