Justice for Percy Lapid! Defend Press Freedom!
Malaya Movement USA Statement on the 1 Year Anniversary of the Murder of Journalist Percy Lapid
On the one year anniversary of the political killing of journalist Percival “Percy Lapid” Mabasa, the Malaya Movement USA continues to demand justice and accountability for Percy Lapid and his family. We send our deepest condolences and solidarity to his family and friends.
Lapid was the radio host of Lapid Fire on DWBL 1242 and staunch critic of the Duterte and Marcos Jr. regimes. He fearlessly dispelled fake news and took on hard-hitting commentaries on Duterte’s drug war, government graft and corruption, extrajudicial killings, red-tagging, and the historical revisionism of martial law atrocities perpetuated by the Marcos political dynasty.
His radio show became a beacon of truth and resistance in a time of political repression and widespread disinformation in the Philippines. In his final show just 9 hours before he was gunned down, Lapid condemned Lorraine Badoy’s red-tagging of Manila Judge Marlo Magdoza-Malagar.
Lapid’s murder by masked vigilantes on a motorcycle bears the mark of a state sponsored, politically motivated assassination. A year later, the responsible state agents and their well oiled machinery of repression and murder have been further exposed. On June 23, 2023 the Las Piñas City Regional Trial Court sentenced three gang leaders from Bilibid prison who pleaded guilty as accessories to the murder. On August 14, 2023, Joel Escorial, the self-confessed gunman in a plea deal, pleaded guilty to a lesser offense of homicide instead of murder.
Justice continues to remain elusive as the suspected masterminds who allegedly orchestrated the assaination, former Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) Chief Gerald Bantag and former deputy officer Ricardo Zulueta, have yet to be brought to justice. The political killing was motivated by Percy Lapid’s coverage of government corruption, and his exposé of Bantag’s ill-gotten wealth.
Extrajudicial killings have been a mainstay against journalists under the Duterte regime, and the culture of impunity continues under the Marcos Jr. regime. The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines has documented 94 incidents of attacks on members of the media since Marcos Jr. took office from June 30, 2022, to August 30, 2023 ranging from killings, death threats, intimidation and harassment such as red-tagging, shootings, surveillance, cyber libel, trumped-up charges, and illegal arrest.
The Philippines remains one of the deadliest countries in the world for journalists. Under Marcos Jr. three journalists have been assassinated – Rey Blanco in September 2022, Percy Lapid in October 2022, and Cresenciano Aldovino Bunduquin in May 2023. These killings exemplify the unrelenting attacks on progressive individuals and organizations, similar to the dark days of Martial Law under Marcos Sr. and the looming reality for journalists and critics under the Marcos Jr. regime.
Malaya Movement USA demands justice and accountability for the killing of Percy Lapid and all slain journalists!
Justice for Percy Lapid! Stop the Attacks! Defend Press Freedom!
Donate to the Justice for Percy Lapid Campaign Memorial: bit.ly/percylapid
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