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Percy Lapid, radio commentator critical of Duterte and Marcos Jr, shot dead

Radio commentator Percival
Radio commentator Percival "Percy" Lapid is the second journalist murdered under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., NUJP said. (Photo credit: DWIZ 882 AM)

Veteran radio commentator Percy Lapid was shot dead on Monday night (October 3) at the gate of BF Resort Village in Talon Dos, Las Piñas.

The radio commentator and columnist, whose real name was Percival Mabasa, was gunned down by two armed suspects at the subdivision's gate while on his way to his online broadcast, per reports from Las Piñas City Police.

Reports also say that one of the suspects, who remain unidentified, was riding a motorcycle while the other was on a white Toyota Fortuner.

Lapid hosted "Lapid Fire," a radio news commentary program that aired on DWBL 1242, where he often criticized President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and former president Rodrigo Duterte for the abuses and irregularities within their governments.

In what would be his last broadcast that aired on September 30, he talked about red-tagging and its dangers, in light of former National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict’s (NTF-ELCAC) spokesperson Lorraine Badoy Partosa’s attack against Judge Marlo Magdoza-Malagar.

The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) condemned the attack.

"The killing shows that journalism remains a dangerous profession in the country. That the incident took place in Metro Manila indicates how brazen the perpetrators were, and how authorities have failed to protect journalists as well as ordinary citizens from harm," NUJP said.

"We call on the public to join us in condemning yet another murder of a journalist. We call on the Philippine National Police to hold the perpetrators accountable," they added.

Former Vice President Leni Robredo also expressed her condolences. "Malaking kawalan ang kaniyang boses, tapang, at pananaw sa panahong bumabangga tayo sa tahasang panlilinlang sa taumbayan," Robredo said.

(His voice, courage, and vision are a loss to us at a time when we’re going against outright deception on the people.)

Lapid is the second journalist to be killed under the Marcos administration, with the first being another radio broadcaster based in Negros Oriental, Rey Blanco, who was stabbed to death in Mabinay on September 18.

Marvin Joseph Ang is a news and creative writer who follows developments on politics, democracy, and popular culture. He advocates for a free press and national democracy. Follow him on Twitter at @marvs30ang for latest news and updates. The views expressed are his own.