By Junex Doronio

MANILA — Stressing that Ricardo Zulueta was originally tagged as one of the masterminds in the killing of his brother Percival “Percy Lapid” Mabasa, veteran journalist and former National Press Club of the Philippines (NPC) president Roy Mabasa has asked for an “independent autopsy” on the body of the former Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) official who reportedly died of bleeding in his head.

This developed even as the Philippine National Police (PNP) maintained on Monday (18 March 2024) that there was no foul play in Zulueta’s death.

Mabasa said ”an independent autopsy report would assuage the public that we are indeed after the truth.”

”We would like the PNP to ascertain the real cause of his death since he was originally tagged as one of the masterminds in the killing of @lapidfire,” Mabasa further said on X (formerly Twitter).

For his part, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla on Sunday (17 March 2024) ordered the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to verify the authenticity of a ”circulating death certificate” of Zulueta.

“We are still looking into the veracity of these reports and will update the public as soon as we receive word from the NBI,” Remulla said.

PNP spokesperson Police Colonel Jean Fajardo answered “Yes po” when asked in a press conference if there was no foul play.

“Iyong mismong kapatid po ang nagdala sa hospital at even po ‘yung common law wife po ni Mr. Zulueta ang magkakasama po sila doon,” Fajardo said.

She added: “A night before na dumating noong nag-complain na parang naninikip na ang dibdib ay dinala agad nila sa ospital. However, binawian din po ng buhay.”

Citing the death certificate, the PNP spokesperson said Zulueta’s cause of death was cerebrovascular disease intracranial hemorrhage, which means there was bleeding in his head.

According to police, Zulueta, 42, was rushed to the Bataan Peninsula Medical Center in Dinalupihan town and declared dead at 11 p.m. on Friday (15 March 2024).

It can be recalled that in March 2023, Zulueta was charged in court, along with former BuCor chief Gerald Bantag, with two counts of murder over the alleged killing of broadcaster Percy Lapid and Jun Villamor on October 3 and 18, 2022, respectively.

(el Amigo/MNM)