Court order is for death of middleman in Percy case
A MUNTINLUPA CITY court has issued a warrant of arrest against former Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) director general Gerald Bantag and his deputy, Ricardo Zulueta, for the murder of National Bilibid Prison inmate Cristito Palana Villamor alias “Jun Villamor,” alleged middleman in the killing last year of radio broadcaster Percival “Percy Lapid” Mabasa.
The warrant was issued by Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court Branch 206 presiding judge Gener Gito. The order is dated April 12 but released to the public only yesterday.
“The bail for the release of the accused in this case is fixed at not bailable for murder under Article 248 of the Revised Penal Code,” the court said.
Bantag and Zulueta are facing separate charges before the Las Piñas Regional Trial Court for Lapid’s murder. They have denied involvement in Lapid’s killing.
Bantag’s lawyer Rocky Balisong has yet to issue a statement on the issuance of warrant while Lauro Gacayan, Zulueta’s lawyer, said they have yet to receive a copy of the warrant.
Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla, who is facing administrative complaints filed by Bantag before the Office of the Ombudsman, told the former BuCor chief to “face the music.” Prosecutors from the Department of Justice (DOJ) last month indicted Bantag and Zulueta for two counts of murder.
Aside from the murder charges, Bantag is also facing plunder and graft charges before the DOJ over allegations that he and several other BuCor officials rigged bidding for the construction of three prison facilities aimed to alleviate prison congestion at the Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm in Palawan, Davao Prison and Penal Farm, and Leyte Regional Prison, worth P1 billion.
He is also facing criminal charges for allegedly torturing several inmates at the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City as well as BuCor employees.
The indictment filed by government prosecutors on March 14 alleged Bantag masterminded the killing of Lapid, a known critic of the administration of presidents Rodrigo Duterte and Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
It said Bantag and Zulueta used Villamor as a middleman for the hit on Lapid on October 5.
Villamor was found dead hours after self-confessed gunman Joel Escorial surfaced days after Lapid was killed, and told authorities of the motive behind Lapid’s killing.
A second autopsy on Villamor performed by Dr. Raquel Fortun showed he died of suffocation from a plastic bag that was allegedly put over his head.
Remulla has said Villamor was killed to prevent him from disclosing what he knew about Lapid’s murder and the mastermind behind it.
Bantag and Zulueta have denied any involvement in the killings of Lapid and Villamor.
Last January, Bantag turned the table on Remulla and his replacement at BuCor, former Army general Gregorio Catapang Jr., and accused them of involvement in the murders of Lapid and Villamor.
Bantag also filed administrative complaints before the Office of the Ombudsman against Remulla and Catapang.
