Lapid slay ‘accomplice’ found dead during arrest

The alleged accomplice of self-confessed gunman Joel Escorial, involved in the killing of broadcaster Percy Lapid, was found dead during the serving of an arrest warrant in Lipa City, Batangas, early Sunday morning.

Police identified the suspect as “Orly,” who was reportedly the person Escorial had communicated with in planning and executing the hit on Lapid.

According to reports, during the police raid, shots were fired by operatives, prompting Orly to barricade himself in a room he was renting with his family. He then moved to the bathroom, where he allegedly shot himself.

The suspect was later identified by police as Jake Mendoza, 40. Mendoza had been previously arrested in November 2020 and had served time in jail on charges related to illegal drugs.

Police Major General Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr., National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) director, stated that the police had initiated a manhunt operation six months ago after gathering reliable information.

Nartatez said that while serving the arrest warrant, they employed members of the SWAT team in CALABARZON, but Mendoza did not surrender. He added that the suspect even held his live-in partner and their child hostage.

Nartatez noted that Mendoza’s testimony would have been crucial to the progress of the case.

The NCRPO chief explained that the police opted to hold their fire since Mendoza’s family was inside the room. A negotiation ensued, and as morning came, Orly requested to speak to a barangay official and a relative in Laguna, a request that the police granted.

The police took approximately three months to locate Orly’s exact whereabouts.

The manhunt operation also aims to arrest the Dimaculangan brothers, who were previously spotted with Mendoza in Batangas.

“We are still looking for two others, the Dimaculangan brothers, as well as the others charged in this case with suspended Bureau of Corrections Director General Gerald Bantag. If he surrenders, it will shed more light on the case, that he cooperates by talking to us,” Nartatez said.

Broadcaster Percy Lapid was shot dead on his way home by two suspects on a motorcycle in October 2022 in Las Piñas City. Escorial was sentenced by a Las Piñas court in May 2024 to up to 16 years of imprisonment for the crime.