Sen. Tulfo's help sought by middleman's sister

The sister of the dead middleman in the ambush-slaying of broadcaster Percy Lapid sought the help of Senator Idol Raffy Tulfo to ensure her safety considering the information she has on her hands.

In his Program "Wanted sa Radyo" on Monday, the sister of New Bilibid Prison (NBP) inmate Jun Villamor, alias "Ate," revealed that she has the names of three individuals who could be behind the suspicious and sudden death of his brother.

Prior to his sudden demise, it can be noted that Villamor was reportedly implicated by confessed gunman Joel Escorial as the person that allegedly gave instructions on the killing of Lapid.

The sister told Tulfo that Villamor messaged her through Facebook messenger at 11:59 am on October 18, just few hours before his death, to bare the names of three inmates who should be investigated should he be killed in prison.

Tulfo, for his part, advised Villamor to not announce the names of three suspects publicly and said he would have her discuss the information with the Department of Justice (DOJ) off-air instead.

"Unfair sa tatlo kapag binanggit na ang pangalan nila on-air dahil malaki ang posibilidad na ipapatay sila," Tulfo cautioned.

Tulfo maintained that he did not want the names of the three people be broadcasted to the public to protect them, as well as secure that they could still stand as witness to the case.

To ensure the proper investigation of the pertinent information "Ate" wished to divulge in relation to Villamor's demise and also ensure her safety, Tulfo coordinated with DOJ Secretary Boying Remulla.

Tulfo also discussed with Remulla the request of "Ate" to return the body of her brother to their province in Leyte, to which Remulla agreed to do after the second independent autopsy on Villamor by forensic pathologist Dr. Raquel Fortun.

Apparently, the findings of the National Bureau of Investigation's (NBI) autopsy showed that Villamor was found to have suffered a hemorrhage in the heart and that they found "no apparent sign of external physical injury" - a result that was questioned by Lapid's family.

The Senator from Isabela and Davao likewise stressed that the ongoing toxicology test on Villamor could help determine whether he was ingested with drugs or other chemicals that led to his death.