Lapid gunman gets up to 16 years in prison

MANILA, Philippines — A Las Piñas City court has sentenced self-confessed gunman Joel Escorial to up to 16 years in prison in connection with the murder of broadcaster Percy Lapid in 2022.

Lapid’s brother, journalist Roy Mabasa, confirmed this in a text message to The STAR yesterday.

“Escorial, who admitted being the gunman of Lapid, was sentenced to eight years and eight months to 16 years in prison by Las Piñas Judge Cesar Huliganga,” Mabasa posted on X.

Danny Pelagio, lawyer for the victim’s family, said Escorial was convicted as an accomplice.

Pelagio said there was no written order yet, but the verdict “would no longer change as it is reflected in the court’s transcript.”

Lapid, who was a staunch critic of the Duterte and Marcos administrations, was shot dead in Las Piñas in October 2022.

Days after Lapid’s death, Escorial turned himself in to police and admitted that he was paid P550,000 to kill the radio broadcaster.

He was charged with murder together with dismissed Bureau of Corrections chief Gerald Bantag and his deputy Ricardo Zulueta.

Escorial implicated Bantag as the alleged brains in Lapid’s murder.

Bantag remains at large.

According to Mabasa, Escorial will remain at the detention facility of the Philippine National Police Custodial Center until the conclusion of the trial of Christopher Bacoto, who is also an alleged accomplice in the case.

Zulueta died while being treated at the Bataan Peninsula Medical Center in March due to alleged heart failure.

Mabasa said the camp of Zulueta has been ordered to address the prosecution’s request for an autopsy due to “doubts about the circumstances of his reported death in Bataan.”

Mabasa said their family would not give up on pursuing justice until all those involved in the crime are behind bars.

“We honor Percy Lapid by entrusting everything to God,” Mabasa said. “Our quest for justice will persist until all the masterminds land in jail.”