Second autopsy: “Middleman” in the Percy Lapid case suffocated in a plastic bag. Let’s see Who was Crisanto Jun Villamor and How did the middleman in the killing of Percy Lapid die in detail
Who was Crisanto Jun Villamor?
Philippines’ MANILA – Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr., the head of the Philippine National Police, stated that he believed there may have been foul play involved in the death of Jun Villamor, one of the putative middlemen in the murder of radio commentator Percival “Percy Lapid” Mabasa.
The abrupt death of Villamor, a prisoner in New Bilibid Prison (NBP), was questioned by the PNP commander, who said in a media briefing on Monday that “it’s a tragedy but the timing is suspicious.”
While Gabriel Chaclag, a spokesman for the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor), said he passed away from “cardiac arrest,” the original postmortem report’s lack of a cause of death raised more questions in the minds of professionals and spectators.
Villamor passed away on October 18, one day after Joel Escorial, the confessed shooter who killed Mabasa and said that Crisanto Villamor had given him the order to assassinate the radio commentator for P550,000, had turned himself in.
Although BuCor initially stated that Crisanto Villamor was not included among the prisoners, they later clarified that they were positive Escorial was referring to Jun Villamor.
In his extrajudicial confession, Escorial also named several people as his collaborators, including the brothers Edmund and Israel Dimaculangan, Orly, and Christopher Bacoto, a prisoner at the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP).
It seemed very coincidental that the person we’ve been looking for suddenly experienced this while the inquiry was still ongoing, isn’t that right? said Azurin.
The PNP head also appeared incredulous when he first heard that Villamor may have passed away while sleeping (“bangungot”). How are you able to sleep in Bilibid at noon? I entered the NBP while I was a police captain, therefore I was familiar with the circumstance there. It’s too hot and crowded there, making it impossible to sleep. I’m curious as to how he managed to get some rest,” he remarked.
In an interview with CNN Philippines, Chaclag asserted that they were just made aware that the PNP was searching for Villamor one day after Villamor’s death and that they had no prior knowledge that the suspected middleman was an NBP prisoner.
We were getting close. The triggerman has been located, and pieces of evidence have been collected. We could have talked to Villamor,” he continued, regretting that they had anticipated BuCor to “segregate” prisoners with Villamor’s last name right away, allowing Escorial to see the middleman in person.
Chaclag said Villamor might have gotten nervous after seeing the news implicating him in Mabasa’s death while watching TV with other inmates. He said Villamor had heart ailments and suffered chest pain in the past but refused to undergo a medical checkup.
How did the middleman in the killing of Percy Lapid die?
Philippines’ MANILA- According to the findings of Crisanto “Jun” Villamor’s second autopsy, the broadcaster Percy Lapid’s accused intermediary perished from asphyxia caused by a plastic bag.
The second autopsy, conducted by forensic pathologist Dr. Raquel Fortun, uncovered further information regarding Villamor’s death that suggested foul play. On Saturday, October 29, it was made public.
According to the information that is now available, homicide was the cause of death, according to Fortun’s report.
| The second autopsy’s most important findings were as follows: |
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LOOK: The second autopsy report of Jun Villamor, the alleged middleman in the Percy Lapid killing. The results of the autopsy performed by forensic pathologist Dr. Raquel Fortun indicate a possibility of foul play. @rapplerdotcom pic.twitter.com/Odc68kv7Xo
— Michelle Abad (@michelleabad_) October 29, 2022
On October 18, Villamor passed away, barely one day after confessed shooter Joel Escorial turned himself into the police and named him as the middleman in the Percy Lapid case.
The National Bureau of Investigation’s (NBI) initial autopsy revealed that Villamor had “no evident evidence of outward physical harm” when he passed away. However, considering the time of his passing, the Philippine National Police and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. expressed scepticism that Villamor died naturally.
By that time, Percy Lapid’s family had asked for a second autopsy on Villamor. According to an exclusive ABS-CBN story, Villamor handed his sister a list of names of potential masterminds to who he wanted to be exposed if he passed away. In his “dying declaration,” Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said they were included.
On Wednesday, October 26, Fortun claimed she gave this some thought while she inspected Villamor’s body. According to Fortun’s investigation, the man voiced fear for his life just before he passed away and died from asphyxia after placing a plastic bag over his head.
She added that because she had not received the comprehensive autopsy report, she was “not sure” if her report differed much from the NBI’s. Seven additional persons of interest (POIs) were reported to be in the DOJ’s custody by the justice secretary, increasing the total number of POIs in DOJ and PNP custody to 15. “Marami na ho tayong nakakausap, marami na ho nagpapaliwanag, at may pito pa hong taong tayong kinuha na maaaring ito na ang magpapaliwanag at magtuturo na ang pagkamatay ni Jun Villamor ay isang hindi po aksidente, hindi po atake na natural, ngunit isang pinagplanuhang kamatayan,” said Remulla.
(We have spoken with a lot of people, and several have provided clarification. Seven additional people have the potential to clarify or demonstrate that Jun Villamor’s death was not the result of a natural disaster or accident but was instead a planned demise.)
According to Remulla, “We are currently in the last phase of the inquiry,” and the justice department will reexamine all statements, including Escorial’s. This case is nearly over. The investigation is nearly complete. In this situation, it will likely be possible to identify the masterminds by filing the appropriate cases. Remulla stated that there are two persons of interest who they believe to be the murder’s organizers, but their names have not yet been made public. Authorities have failed to find the money trail that connected Escorial’s receipt of the payment for Lapid’s head in exchange for blood.
Another noteworthy finding: meth discovered in urine
The discovery of methamphetamine, sometimes known as shabu, in Villamor’s urine during the second autopsy was another noteworthy discovery.
The NBI report did not include this. The discovery of meth in the corpse of Villamor, who was being held in Bilibid at the time of his death, according to Remulla, has confirmed rumors of drugs being present in the New Bilibid Prison.
Fortun also emphasized the necessity to examine the health issues in the Philippine prison system. “How the person was killed is not the only issue. Please be aware that there is methamphetamine in jail; it’s also a health concern. That fact shocked me greatly. The presence of a parasitic infection is the other.
Wouldn’t you want to check the jails as these folks also pass away from communicable diseases? Fortun stated. We don’t want any of our prisoners to pass away. They should be in the care of the government. Of course, people shouldn’t be killed in this manner, and neither should they be dying,” she continued.
Lockup Reforms
Fortun, meanwhile, called for changes to the criminal justice system to stop more instances like Villamor. She stated, “We don’t have a system of death investigation. “All deaths of prisoners while in detention… should be looked into. If we hadn’t conducted even a minimal amount of research, we could have easily lost this one.
“Look at the evidence we have; it’s not only a question of how the person was killed. It’s also a health concern… A parasitic infection exists. Inmates of this type pass away from communicable diseases. In that case, why not check the jails? “We do not want to see our prisoners pass away. They are intended to be considered wards of the state and in state custody. They shouldn’t be perishing and shouldn’t be killed in this manner.” For his part, Remulla stated that the Bureau of Corrections will receive a copy of Fortun’s autopsy report as guidance for enhancing their facilities.
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Lavanya (Senior Editor) is a full-time content writer with almost 5 years of experience and a part-time teacher. She joined Medico Topics on the Breaking News trainee scheme in 2022 and now works on MedicoTopics.com. As a lifelong learner, She is constantly curious about learning new things and passionate about sharing knowledge with people through her writing and teaching.