Police volte-face

Philippine National Police chief General Rodolfo Azurin Jr.'s admission Monday that the murder of broadcaster Percival "Percy Lapid" Mabasa is "not yet solved" is most welcome as it assures the family of the victim, as well as the public, that investigators would not stop until they've unmasked who paid hitmen P550,000 to silence Mabasa.

As pointed out in this corner yesterday, Task Force Lapid chief and Southern Police District director, P/Brig. Gen. Kirby John Kraft erred gravely in claiming that "as far as we (the police) are concerned, we have already solved this case."

It may be unintended, but Kraft appeared like he was already giving himself a pat on the back just because charges had been filed against self-confessed gunman Joel Escorial and the three persons he tagged as his accomplices in committing the murder — getaway motorcycle driver "Orly" and alleged lookouts Edmon and Israel Dimaculangan.

In correcting his subordinate officer, Azurin emphasized that the foremost to be answered before the case corresponding to the 3 October killing of Mabasa can be laid to rest or handed over to prosecutors is: Where did the kill order against Mabasa come from?

If "where" would be taken literally, this has already been answered partially by Escorial, who said the contract was offered to him from inside the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City.

That offer, Escorial said during his tell-all press conference last 18 October, came from his long-time acquaintance in NBP detainee Crisanto P. Villamor, otherwise referred to in other reports as Cristituto or Jun, with differing middle names like Garcia and Globa.

As we all know by now, Villamor "died" inside the NBP hours after he was pinpointed by Escorial as the "middleman" in the contract killing. An autopsy report said Villamor died of "heart hemorrhage," but the Mabasa family, as well as forensic pathologist Raquel Barros del Rosario-Fortun, want an independent and more detailed post-mortem. We can't blame them.

No one is buying the tale that Villamor, who was serving a sentence for murder at NBP, had his heart conveniently giving out on him or dying from "bangungot" within hours after being tagged by Escorial as the go-between of the mastermind. For most people, like a former justice secretary and senator, Villamor did not "die," as he was most likely killed.

In his presser, Azurin said the PNP has about 160 persons of interest in the killing of Mabasa corresponding to all the people — politicians and government officials, drug lords, syndicate bosses, etc. — who fell at the receiving end of hard-hitting "Percy Lapid Fire" radio program.

Asked whether the suspended Bureau of Corrections chief Gerald Bantag is among the 160 persons of interest, Azurin answered in the affirmative. The NBP, like all the other penal facilities and colonies for convicts, is overseen by the BuCor heretofore headed by Bantag.

Bantag, whom Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla relieved on the order of no less than President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., had also been the subject of Mabasa's tirades, according to numerous reports.

"We cannot say yet the case is already solved, although, we have filed the cases already initially against Mr. Escorial and his companions," Azurin told reporters. "Because we have yet to determine if there is indeed a mastermind, (and) where the order came from."

In asking where the order came from, Azurin was merely raising the possibility that ultimately the order to kill the broadcaster may have come from outside of the NBP but was only coursed to Escorial through Villamor. At any rate, the PNP, following Azurin's clarificatory statements, has its job cut out for it.

It should follow all the leads and, if need be, apply the shotgun approach in looking at everyone whom Mabasa sufficiently angered not only to want him dead but to actually pay a group of killers to silence him forever.

Indeed, there's a mastermind or masterminds in all this. In fairness to Kraft, he had said their investigations are continuing as we cannot have a case ending with the prosecution of mere hitmen and middlemen.