The sister of the alleged middleman in the killing of radio broadcaster Percival "Percy Lapid" Mabasa is currently under the witness protection program, Justice Secretary Boying Remulla said on Monday.
This comes after her brother, inmate Crisanto Palara Villamor Jr., passed away last October 18 at the hospital inside the New Bilibid Prison — just hours after alleged suspect Joel Estorial surrendered to the police.
According to Remulla, the sister had undergone evaluation and had been taken into the custody of the WPP.
Authorities said that there was another middleman identified as Christopher Bacoto who is detained at a Bureau of Jail Management and Penology facility and had been secured as an investigation into the Lapid killing continued.
Lapid was shot dead while on his way home in Las Piñas City on October 3.
According to the briefer from DOJ, Escorial said Bacoto talked to his companions to help him in killing Lapid while Villamor promised to pay P550,000.
The Philippine National Police also said that around 160 personalities, including former Bureau of Corrections chief Gerald Bantag, are considered persons of interest in the killing of Lapid.
