DRUG LORDS NAGPAPATAY KAY PERCY LAPID’

ITINANGGI ni dating Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) deputy security officer Ricardo Zulueta na may kinalaman ito sa pagpaslang sa broadcaster na si Percy Lapid, pahayag ng kanyang legal counsel nitong Lunes.

Si Zulueta, isa sa masterminds sa kaso kasama ang suspended BuCor chief na si Gerald Bantag, ay nahaharap sa 2 reklamo ng murder sa pagpatay kay Lapid at middleman na si Jun Villamor.

“My client is very clear on this. Sabi niya, the allegations are all baseless and this is the handiwork of drug lords who are so angry at him and General Bantag because they removed the undeserved privileges from the time they took over at BuCor,” sabi ng abogadng si Lauro Gacayan sa panayam ng CNN.

“Also he denied any participation in the killing of Percy Lapid,” dagdag ni Cagayan.

Nauna nang sinabi ng mga awtoridad na sa sworn statements ng persons deprived of liberty (PsDL) ay malinaw ang direct line mula kay Bantag papunta kay Zulueta at sa gang commanders.

Pero sabi ni Gacayan, naniniwala siyang ang ebidensiya sa kaso ay “hearsay” at “inadmissible in court.”

Sa Facebook post noong Biyernes, ipinakita ni Gacayan ang mga larawan ni Zulueta, na matagal nanahimik simula nang sampahan ito ng mga reklamo, na nakasuot ng polo shirt at jeans sa loob ng opisina ng abogado sa Baguio City. Ang larawan ay kuha noong December 13.

“He appeared before me and he engaged my services. He said he wants to show the whole world that he’s not abroad, he’s not in hiding, he’s not dead,” sabi ni Gacayan.

“Now, he’s not in hiding and there was no reason for him to be appearing in public places because, according to him, he has not received a formal copy of the complaint against him,” dagdag pa ng abogado.

Ayon kay Gacayan, si Zulueta ay nakatanggap lamang ng one-page subpoena para magpakita sa Department of Justice.

“But there’s no reason for him to appear if he was not provided a copy of the affidavit complaint for him to answer,” sabi ni Gacayan. Nakatanggap daw siya ng kopya ng complaint affidavit mula sa abogado ni Bantag na si Rocky Balisong.

“I requested Atty. Balisong since he’s a very good friend of mine. My student [at] the College of Law to furnish me a copy of the affidavit complaint, the entire record against Colonel Zulueta and General Bantag and he was able to furnish me one,” ani Gacayan.

Sinabi ni Gacayan na kaya hindi nagpakita sa publiko si Zulueta dahil sa “security concerns.”

“He said he was going to different places. Manila. Baguio. Visiting his relatives in Pangasinan. He was not in hiding,” diin ni Gacayan.

“But there was no reason for him also to be at the malls or other public places considering the security concerns that he told me,” sabi ng abogado.

Nang tanungin kung mayroong threats laban kay Zulueta, sinabi ni Gacayan na ipinakita sa kanya ng kanyang kliyente ang “numerous texts.”

“One of which was saying hindi ka na aabutan ng Christmas Colonel Zulueta. And others,” sabi ni Gacayan.

Samantala, sang-ayon si Gacayan sa ‘motion for inhibition’ na inihain ni Bantag, hinihiling na ilipat ang Percy Lapid case sa Ombudsman.

“We believe that we are entitled to the cold neutrality of an impartial tribunal. That was the decision of the Supreme Court in a long line of decisions,” sabi ni Gacayan.

“We do not believe that we will be able to obtain fair proceedings before the panel of prosecutors appointed by the DOJ secretary,” aniya.

Magsusumite si Gacayan ng counter affidavit ni Zulueta kapag naglabas ang DOJ panel ng kanilang resolution sa motion for inhibition.

“Why? Because we do not know where to submit the counter affidavit. Shall it be with the DOJ or to the Ombudsman if the DOJ will inhibit from handling this case,” sabi ni Gacayan.

Si Lapid ay binaril-patay sa Las Piñas City noong October 3 habang si Villamor ay pinatay sa loob ng kanyang kubol sa New Bilibid Prison.

Sa autopsy ni forensic pathologist Dr. Raquel Fortun nalamang si Villamor ay namatay sa “plastic bag suffocation.”