Senator Ronald ‘Bato’ Dela Rosa on Tuesday said former president Rodrigo Roa Duterte has no motive to order the murder of radio broadcaster Percival “Percy Lapid” Mabasa.

In an interview with reporters, Bato defended Duterte from the speculations that he was allegedly involved in the slay case.

"You can speculate as much as you can, as much as you want, but the investigation points to that person,” the Senator said, pertaining to suspended Bureau of Correction (BuCor) Director General Gerald Bantag, the alleged mastermind.

"Maghanap pa talaga kayo? Gusto n'yo idawit si, sino? 'Yung nag-appoint kay Bantag, si President Duterte pa gusto n'yong idawit? Sino pa gusto n'yong idawit? Siga nga," he added.

Duterte is among the 160 persons of interest tagged by the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI). He is one of the personalities criticized by Lapid in his radio commentary.

Bato said if the former president wanted Lapid to be killed, he could have ordered it when he was still in power.

He also said that Duterte would not order the death of Lapid to "protect his political career" from criticism because he had already retired from politics.

“Kung nakita na hanggang doon lang nakikita nila sa investigation, so bakit pa tayo mag speculate? Gusto pa talagang idamay ang ibang tao. Kawawa naman ‘yung gusto nating idamay,” the Senator said.

The Mabasa family earlier said they believe that there is a person who is more “higher” than Bantag who could be involved in the murder.

But Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin ‘Boying’ Remulla dismissed the remark and said that they do not see other masterminds based on the evidence collected so far.

“Wala kami nakikita na iba. Everything is possible but from what we have, it stops there. We just follow the money and follow the evidence. Mahirap mag-speculate eh. I was hoping I could point to the drug lords and not Bantag. But ito ‘yung lumalabas na facts eh,” he told the reporters in an interview on Tuesday, Nov. 8.