Memorial for Percy Lapid - Oct 1 2023

Percy Mabasa, also known as, Percy Lapid, spent his 35-year career as a

journalist highlighting corruption among the powerful. Thousands of listeners

watch the radio program of Percy Lapid every night because of his fearless

opinions. The killing of Percy Lapid is a continuing assault to freedom of

expression in the Philippines.

Since 1986, there have been 198 journalists killed in the Philippines, based on the data and

monitoring of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) and Rappler. The

NUJP included only media workers who were killed in relation to their job. 

Of the last six presidents, from Corazon Aquino to Rodrigo Duterte, the highest number of

killed journalists was under Gloria Macapagal Arroyo with 103 – 32 of them massacred in

Maguindanao. Under the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., three journalists

were killed including Percy Lapid.

The family of Percy Lapid (all 14 of them) after receiving threats, flew the United States

because they fear for their lives, they believe that the current administration cannot protect

them. They are seeking refuge in the United States to be able to freely express their opinions

and to continue advocating for justice for the death of their father.

The Percy Lapid campaign is not just a campign to seek justice for the death of Percy Lapid. It

is a campaign for FREEDOM. It is a campaign to say to the world that every person has the

right to speak her own mind. It is campaign to say “Killing of mediamen” in the Philippines

should stop, that killing is wrong no matter how rampant it is and that we have to say STOP.

Percy Lapid represented not only the journalists/ mediamen whose lives are in danger as they

fulfill their professional responsibilities to the public. The Percy Lapid campaign is a

campaign not only for justice, but for FREEDOM of Expression, for Freedom of Journalism,

for RESPECT OF HUMAN RIGHTS

On October 1, 2023 (Sunday), please join us as we remember the life and courage of Percy Lapid to speak out against injustice and corruption. For those in Greater LA, please come to Carson Park Activity Room, 21411 S. Orrick Avenue, Carson, CA 90745 from 12:00pm - 5:00pm PT. For questions, contact Erlinda GS - [phone redacted], Val S - [phone redacted] or Adrian L - [phone redacted].

In New York, the Memorial Service for Percy Lapid will be held at the Community Room, Towers on the Park, 300 West 110th St., New York City at 4:00pm ET on October 1st. For questions, email [email redacted].

Note:

Based on the data by the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP), 32 or more media practitioners were killed during the first Marcos presidency, while 197 media workers have been killed in the line of duty since 1986. The highest number was under the administration of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo with 103; including 32 who were murdered in Maguindanao in what was called the world's worst single attack on journalists. Percy Lapid is one of three journalists who were killed in the first year of the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. [Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_journalists_killed_in_the_Philippines]