MANILA— Sen. Risa Hontiveros on Friday called on the Philippine government to step up efforts to help secure the release of Mark Mabasa, son of slain broadcaster Percy Lapid, from US immigration detention as he faces an immigration hearing in California.

Mabasa has been held at the Adelanto Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Processing Center in California since Sept. 21, with his immigration hearing scheduled for Friday, Oct. 2—the fourth anniversary of his father’s killing.

The specific reason for Mabasa’s detention has not been publicly disclosed. His family’s asylum case in the United States remains pending.

“It is unacceptable that a person who has been seeking asylum is detained without a clear reason,” Hontiveros said.

“Matagal nang nag-apply ng asylum si Mark at ang iba pang myembro ng pamilya ni Percy Lapid pagkatapos ng katakot-takot na mga death threats dito sa Pilipinas (Mark and other members of Percy Lapid’s family applied for asylum a long time ago following the terrifying death threats they received here in the Philippines). Our government should be able to help expedite his release as soon as possible,” she added.

Hontiveros said she had raised Mabasa’s case with Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel Romualdez, US Ambassador to the Philippines Lee Lipton and Philippine Consul General in Los Angeles Adel Cruz.

The Philippine Consulate General in Los Angeles has conducted a welfare visit to Mabasa and said it was prepared to provide appropriate consular assistance within its mandate and applicable US laws and regulations.

The consulate has also appealed to the public to refrain from discussing or commenting on Mabasa’s case in deference to his and his family’s privacy.

The Mabasa family sought asylum in the United States after receiving death threats following the killing of Percy Lapid, whose real name was Percival Mabasa, in 2022. Mark and other family members left the Philippines for the US in February 2023.

Mabasa’s immigration hearing is set for Oct. 2, according to reports citing ICE records and his family.