Self-confessed gunman Joel Escorial in the slay case of veteran radio commentator Percival 'Percy Lapid' Mabasa has asked a Las Piñas court to allow him to plead guilty to a lesser offense.
According to the motion to plea-bargain released by Las Piñas City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 254 on Monday, lawyers from the Public Attorney's Office (PAO) assisted Escorlia when he asked for the plea.
"After conferring with the accused-movant and informing him of the right to plea bargain, he consented to plead guilty to the lesser offense of murder under the RPC [Revised Penal Code of the Philippines]," the Las Piñas City Branch 254 said.
It said that the self-confessed gunman asked to downgrade his offense to Homicide instead of Murder.
Article 249 of the RPC stated that individuals who will be deemed guilty of homicide shall be punished by reclusion temporal or 12 years and 1 day to 20 years of imprisonment.
"Wherefore, premises considered, in the interest of justice and for the mutual benefit of the state and the accused, it is most respectfully prayed of this Honorable Court to allow accused Joel Escorial y Salve to enter into plea bargaining to the lesser offense of Homicide," the Las Piñas court said.
"Other reliefs and remedies that are just and equitable under the premises are likewise prayed for," it added.
The self-confessed gunman, former Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) chief Gerald Bantag, former BuCor Deputy Director Ricardo Zulueta, and several New Bilibid Prison (NBP) inmates are all facing murder charges for the death of the veteran broadcaster.
Escorial earlier surrendered to authorities and confessed that he shot dead Lapid upon an order from an authority inside the NBP. He also revealed that he has five cohorts in the murder.
In October 2022, Lapid was gunned down at the Santa Cecilia gate of BF Resort Village in Las Piñas City where he was supposed to do his online broadcast "Lapid Fire".
