Lapid Case: Murder Raps Filed Versus Bantag, Others

Authorities filed murder complaints on Monday, Nov. 7, against suspended Bureau of Corrections chief Gerald Bantag, another BuCor official and 10 others over the killing of radio broadcaster Percy Lapid and alleged middleman Jun Villamor.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) and National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) filed two separate charges before the Department of Justice (DOJ) against Bantag, BuCor director for security and operations Ricardo Zulueta and 10 Bilibid inmates for the killing of Lapid and Villamor.

Bantag and Zulueta are facing complaints for the death of both men, while inmates Denver Batungbakal Mayores, Alvin Cornista Labra, Aldrin Micosia Galicia and Alfie Peñaredonda are facing murder complaints for the death of Lapid (real name Percival Mabasa).

Meanwhile, inmates facing complaints for the killing of Villamor are Labra, Galicia, Mario Germones Alvarez, Joseph Medel Georfo, Christam Dizon Ramac, Ricky Lamigo Salgado, Ronnie Pabustan dela Cruz and Joel Alog Reyes.

“A case has been filed with the prosecutors, and then we will proceed with the case proper and hopefully this issue will be laid to rest the way it should be,” Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said at a press conference.

Timeline

Based on the timeline of the kill contract mapped by the DOJ, Bantag allegedly gave the order to kill Lapid and tasked Zulueta to lay down the instructions on how to deliver the hit.

Zulueta then gave instructions to Mayores, Bantag’s alleged trusted aide detained at the Iwahig Prison in Palawan, who subsequently cascaded the orders to Batang City Jail gang leader Labra.

Labra then contacted Sputnik leader Galicia who tasked Villamor, a supposed member of Sputnik, to look for a hitman outside New Bilibid Prison (NBP).

It was at this point that Villamor asked his acquaintance Christopher Bacoto, another middleman being held by the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, for help in looking for a hit-man.

The gunman they found, Joel Escorial, received the instructions and undertook the hit.

Peñaredonda, commander of the HappyGoLucky prison gang, allegedly served as financier.

Another timeline on the killing of Villamor showed how Bantag’s orders were cascaded in the same order, only this time Galicia cascaded the orders down to Georfo and Alvarez, who then asked Sputnik gang members Ramac, Salgado, Dela Cruz and Reyes to kill Villamor.

“Alias Jokon was the inmate who placed the plastic bag over Villamor’s head that suffocated him. Villamor did not struggle,” the DOJ timeline read.

‘Surrender now’

With the investigation showing a conspiracy, Remulla and Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos asked Bantag and Zulueta to surrender and face the charges.

“I’d like to ask Zulueta and DG Bantag to surrender and face the charges and if they are innocent, the law will uphold them. If they’re guilty then they will have to face the consequences,” Remulla said.

“Zulueta, just surrender. Just like when the gunman surrendered for fear of his life. It’s not far that this will happen to you. Think things over,” Abalos said in a mix of English and Filipino.

The Department of the Interior and Local Government chief said they are ready to enforce the law against Bantag, who earlier expressed refusal to surrender to authorities.

The DOJ secretary likewise stressed that Bantag and Zulueta could finally answer questions regarding the illegal activities inside Bilibid.

These included the reported COVID deaths of 18 drug lords in a span of 75 days and their immediate cremation, why there were 30 unclaimed corpses of inmates in a Muntinlupa City funeral home and the continuous presence of contraband within prison walls.

AWOL

Despite the lack of an arrest warrant, NBI Director Medardo de Lemos said they are monitoring the whereabouts of Bantag, who was placed under preventive suspension last month following Lapid’s death.

“General Bantag does not have an arrest warrant so we are just monitoring so we can know later on his whereabouts,” De Lemos said in a statement in mixed English and Filipino.

For Zulueta, De Lemos said the NBI is exerting efforts to locate the BuCor director, as they were told he went AWOL (absent without leave).

“The NBI is exerting effort to locate him and we were informed he went AWOL. He is gone but we are not stopping efforts to locate him,” he added.

PNP chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr. said on Monday Bantag’s participation in the killing was found in the joint PNP-NBI probe, with the motive for the murder seen “due to the continued exposé by the victim in his radio program Percy Lapid Fire.”

“Through the PDL’s sworn statements, director general Bantag’s participation in the killing was evidenced by a clear showing of a direct line of communication from him and deputy security officer Ricardo Zulueta to Denver Mayores who subsequently relayed the instructions to other gang members,” Azurin said.

“For Bantag, he has no arrest warrant so I think he is still free to roam around. We just have to find his exact location,” Azurin added in Filipino.

He also confirmed that Zulueta has been in hiding since a few days ago.

The PNP chief assured the Mabasa family that the police would continue to have active collaboration with the DOJ in bringing the case to a full closure.

Optimistic

With charges filed, Malacañang expressed hope that the family of the slain broadcaster would attain justice.

“The President is aware of the situation and hopefully, it will pave the way so that justice will really be served to the family of Mabasa,” Office of the Press Secretary officer-in-charge Undersecretary Cheloy Garafil told reporters.

The Mabasa family thanked authorities after charges were filed against Bantag and several others.

“We are optimistic and asking for prayers and continued support for identifying more masterminds behind Bantag. We hope that this is the start of a stronger protection to journalists that are fighting for the truth,” the family statement added.

In an interview with ANC, Lapid’s brother Roy Mabasa said that they are open to the possibility that there could be a “mastermind behind a mastermind.”

“That is actually the position of the family. We do not think that it will stop with Bantag. Which is why we are challenging Bantag to be a man,” Mabasa said in Filipino. “Face us. Face the charges and we are asking him that if there is really a person behind him, reveal it.”

The lawyer of the Mabasa family, Danilo Pelagio, said in a separate interview they are “very satisfied” with the investigation.

Supermax jail

The Senate will try to find funding for the establishment of “super maximum” security prison in the country in the proposed national budget for 2023 so that construction can start next year, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said on Monday.

Zubiri said the plan to rush funding for high-security prisons was part of the chamber’s efforts to reform the country’s penal system in the wake of Lapid’s killing.

“That’s why we are pushing for the supermax. I’m asking Sen. (Sonny) Angara to put the budget on supermax prisons. It’s like America’s Federal Prison,” Zubiri noted.

He said he has requested Angara, chairman of the Senate finance committee, to add provisions in the proposed P5.268-trillion national budget for 2023 to authorize the funding of these facilities.

“We’re still working out the details. It will be a multi-year funding,” Zubiri told reporters, adding that the jails will be placed in isolated areas and cells will have a maximum of two inmates.

The Senate president said BuCor officials have admitted that they allow gangs at the NBP to proliferate to help control 30,000 inmates.

Financial assistance

In Congress, Dasmariñas City Rep. Elpidio Barzaga Jr. donated a “seed money” of P100,000 and asked fellow lawmakers to “voluntarily contribute monetary assistance” to the heirs of the radio broadcaster.

“While giving reward is commendable for the immediate apprehension of the perpetrators, it is also equally important that we provide aid to the heirs of the slain journalist whose relatives are now suffering from threats and intimidation in their lives,” he said.

Barzaga said he was inspired by the P5-million reward money raised by Speaker Martin Romualdez and many others for information that would lead to the arrest of suspects and alleged masterminds.

The conditions were that donations should be “given to House secretary-general Reginald Velasco” and such voluntary contributions must be given not later than Nov. 30 and any amount given after this period shall be “remitted” to him and turned over “to the heirs of Mabasa.”

Paradigm shift

For her part, House Deputy Minority Leader France Castro yesterday said there is a “growing need for paradigm shift” in the country’s penal system as the current jail system “runs counter to being reformative and rehabilitative to offenders.”

“In reality it further mires many offenders into a life of crime as what happened to the alleged middleman in the Percy Lapid killing, Jun Villamor, also known as Cristito Villamor Palaña, at the NBP,” said Castro, the representative of ACT Teachers party-list.

Aside from this, she noted the situation in Bilibid “undoubtedly falls short” of the United Nations’ Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, which prescribes standards in aspects including food, hygiene and shelter. – With Alexis Romero, Alexis Romero, Ralph Edwin Villanueva, Romina Cabrera, Cecille Suerte Felipe, Paolo Romero, Delon Porcalla, Sheila Crisostomo