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Killing of Percy Lapid

ONGOING2022BF Resort Village, Barangay Talon 2, Las Piñas3 SOURCESUPDATED JUL 2026
Illustrative

Percival Carag Mabasa, known professionally as Percy Lapid, was a Filipino radio journalist and broadcaster who hosted the program *Lapid Fire* on DWBL. He was known for covering corruption cases, including irregularities related to the Sugar Regulatory Administration's aborted sugar-import order, a scandal that contributed to the resignation of an executive secretary in September 2022. He was also a vocal critic of red-tagging and disinformation in the Philippines.

On October 3, 2022, at around 8:30 p.m., Lapid was shot and killed while driving home to BF Resort Village in Las Piñas, Metro Manila. His vehicle was in a queue at a subdivision checkpoint when a motorcycle carrying two men approached, and the gunman fired two shots, killing Lapid instantly. He was the third journalist killed in the Philippines in 2022 according to UNESCO, and the second during the presidency of Bongbong Marcos according to the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines.

Joel Escorial surrendered to authorities on October 17, 2022, and confessed to being the gunman. He implicated brothers Edmon and Israel Dimaculangan and identified a chain of command running through intermediaries to Jun Villamor, an inmate at New Bilibid Prison. Villamor died on October 18, 2022; while the Bureau of Corrections and an initial NBI autopsy found no signs of foul play, a second autopsy by forensic pathologist Raquel Fortun concluded he died of suffocation from a plastic bag.

In March 2023, the Department of Justice indicted seventeen individuals in connection with the killings of Lapid and Villamor. Prosecutors found probable cause to charge Bureau of Corrections Director General Gerald Bantag and his deputy, Ricardo Zulueta, as principals by inducement, alongside several other individuals charged as principals by direct participation or indispensable cooperation. Bantag has maintained his innocence and alleged that a drug lord was responsible. Zulueta died in March 2024, reportedly of natural causes, though the Department of Justice ordered an investigation into the circumstances.

As of the most recent reporting, four co-accused — Aldrin Galicia, Alvin Labra, Alfie Peñaredonda, and Denver Mayores — have been convicted as accessories through plea bargains and sentenced to terms of two to eight years. Escorial pleaded guilty to a downgraded homicide charge and received a sentence of 8 years, 8 months to 16 years in May 2024. In the related Villamor case, eight accused pleaded guilty as accomplices and accessories, receiving sentences ranging from two to fourteen years. Bantag remains a fugitive, and Interpol issued a Red Notice for him in 2026. The killing drew condemnation from domestic and international press freedom organizations, including UNESCO, which cited the Philippines' record as one of the most dangerous countries in the world for journalists.

Key facts

Victims
Jun Villamor, Percy Lapid
Date
2022
Location
BF Resort Village, Barangay Talon 2, Las Piñas
Case status
ongoing

Case timeline

  1. 1959-03-14

    Percival Carag Mabasa (Percy Lapid) is born.

  2. 2022-09

    Vic Rodriguez, executive secretary tied to the Sugar Regulatory Administration scandal exposed by Lapid, resigns.

  3. 2022-10-03

    Percy Lapid is shot and killed near the gate of BF Resort Village, Las Piñas, while driving home.

  4. 2022-10-06

    UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay condemns the killing in a press release.

  5. 2022-10-10

    Cash bounty for information on the killing reaches ₱6.5 million.

  6. 2022-10-17

    Joel Escorial surrenders to authorities and confesses to being the gunman, implicating others.

  7. 2022-10-18

    Jun Villamor, identified by Escorial as his contact inside New Bilibid Prison, dies in custody.

  8. 2023-03-13

    Double murder charges filed before the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court in the Villamor case.

  9. 2023-03-14

    Double murder charges filed before the Las Piñas Regional Trial Court in the Lapid case.

  10. 2023-06-23

    Aldrin Galicia, Alvin Labra, and Alfie Peñaredonda convicted as accessories via plea bargain in Lapid's murder case.

  11. 2023-06-27

    Muntinlupa RTC sentences eight accused in the Villamor killing; case against Bantag and Zulueta archived pending arrest.

  12. 2023-12-04

    Denver Mayores convicted as accessory via plea bargain in Lapid's murder case.

  13. 2024-04-05

    NBI raids two safe houses in an unsuccessful attempt to arrest Gerald Bantag.

  14. 2024-05

    Joel Escorial sentenced to 8 years, 8 months to 16 years after pleading guilty to a downgraded homicide charge.

  15. 2024-03-15

    Ricardo Zulueta reportedly dies of heart failure at Bataan Peninsula Medical Center.

  16. 2024-08-11

    Alias 'Orly' (later identified as Jake Mendoza/Orlando Almanor) fatally shoots himself during a police manhunt operation in Lipa, Batangas.

  17. 2026-05-11

    Interpol issues a Red Notice for Gerald Bantag, among other fugitives, according to the DILG.

Best coverage

No approved coverage links are attached yet.

People

  • Ricardo Zulueta

    CHARGED

    Deputy security officer to Bantag; charged as principal by inducement; died in March 2024 before arrest.

  • Alfie Peñaredonda

    CONVICTED

    NBP gang leader; convicted as accessory via plea bargain, sentenced 2-8 years, June 23, 2023.

  • Jun Villamor

    VICTIM

    New Bilibid Prison inmate named by Escorial as a contact; died in custody on October 18, 2022, in a killing linked to the same case.

  • Alvin Labra

    CONVICTED

    NBP gang leader; convicted as accessory via plea bargain, sentenced 2-8 years, June 23, 2023; also indicted as principal by inducement in the Villamor case.

  • Gerald Bantag

    CHARGED

    Bureau of Corrections Director General; charged with murder as principal by inducement; remains a fugitive with an Interpol Red Notice issued in 2026.

  • Joel Escorial

    CONVICTED

    Confessed gunman; pleaded guilty to a downgraded homicide charge and was sentenced to 8 years 8 months to 16 years in May 2024.

  • Aldrin Galicia

    CONVICTED

    NBP gang leader; convicted as accessory via plea bargain, sentenced 2-8 years, June 23, 2023.

  • Denver Mayores

    CONVICTED

    Reportedly Bantag's aide; convicted as accessory via plea bargain, sentenced 2-8 years, December 4, 2023.

  • Percy Lapid

    VICTIM

    Filipino radio journalist and broadcaster shot and killed on October 3, 2022.

  • Christopher Bacoto

    CHARGED

    Also known as Jerry Sandoval; alleged middleman in the killing; trial not yet concluded.

Roles reflect public records and court outcomes at the time of writing — supporting citations are on file under Sources.

Places

BF Resort Village, Barangay Talon 2, Las Piñas

14.4432, 120.9844

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Common questions

What happened to the victim?
Filipino radio journalist Percy Lapid, a vocal critic of corruption and government officials, was shot dead in Las Piñas, Philippines, on October 3, 2022; multiple people have since been convicted or charged, including a former Bureau of Corrections chief accused of ordering the killing.
Where did the killing happen?
BF Resort Village, Barangay Talon 2, Las Piñas.
Who was convicted?
Alfie Peñaredonda (NBP gang leader; convicted as accessory via plea bargain, sentenced 2-8 years, June 23, 2023.), Alvin Labra (NBP gang leader; convicted as accessory via plea bargain, sentenced 2-8 years, June 23, 2023; also indicted as principal by inducement in the Villamor case.), Joel Escorial (Confessed gunman; pleaded guilty to a downgraded homicide charge and was sentenced to 8 years 8 months to 16 years in May 2024.), Aldrin Galicia (NBP gang leader; convicted as accessory via plea bargain, sentenced 2-8 years, June 23, 2023.), and Denver Mayores (Reportedly Bantag's aide; convicted as accessory via plea bargain, sentenced 2-8 years, December 4, 2023.).
What is the current status of the case?
Status: ongoing.
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Sources

  1. ENCYCLOPEDICKilling of Percy LapidWikipedia · 2026-07-10
  2. PRESSContemporaneous coverage — Percy Lapid killingThe New York Times · 2026-07-10
  3. PRESSContemporaneous coverage — Percy Lapid killingThe Independent · 2026-07-10