A MUNTINLUPA City court has archived the case against former Bureau of Corrections chief Gerald Bantag and his former deputy, Ricardo Zulueta, pending their arrest in connection with the killing of inmate Cristito Palana Villamor alias Jun Villamor, the alleged middleman in the murder last year of radio broadcaster Percival “Percy Lapid” Mabasa.
In the June 27 order, Muntinlupa RTC Branch 206 Judge Gener Gito also sentenced others accused in the case, after they pleaded guilty to the lesser offenses of acting as accomplice and accessory to the crime of murder.
Gito said the archiving of the case against Bantag and Zulueta will be revived upon their arrest.
“Considering that the other accused in this case, accused Director General Gerald Bantag and Senior Superintendent Ricardo Zulueta are not yet arrested, let this case be sent to the archive subject to revival upon the arrest of said accused,” Gito’s seven-page order said.
The Department of Justice said the guilty plea of the accused further boosted the government’s case against Bantag and Zulueta.
“We are establishing the link and every step of the way that there is indeed coordination and communication from Mr. Bantag and Mr. Zulueta to the gang leaders who have now pled guilty to the outside where they were able to find a gunman in Mr. Escorial,” DOJ spokesperson Jose Dominic Clavano told reporters in an interview.
“The plea bargaining and the plea of guilt of the others further lend credibility doon sa ating naging (to the) theory of the case,” he added.
Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla earlier said Villamor was killed to prevent him from spilling the beans on the mastermind in the broadcaster’s killing.
JAIL TIME
Gito imposed an indeterminate penalty of six years and one day as minimum to 14 years, eight months and one day as maximum imprisonment on Bantag and Zulueta’s co-accused in Villamor’s killing, namely Mario G. Alvarez, Christian D. Ramac, Ricky L. Salgado, Ronnie P. Dela Cruz and Joel A. Reyes.
The court also imposed an indeterminate penalty of two years, four months and one day as minimum to eight years and one day as maximum imprisonment on Alvin C. Labra, Aldrin M. Galicia, and Joseph M. Georfo.
All of them are jailed at the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City serving sentences for various offenses.
“Considering the pleas of guilty of the present accused, the prosecution was able to prove the guilt of all the accused present beyond reasonable doubt as accomplice for accused Alvarez, Ramac, Salgado, Dela Cruz and Reyes, and as accessory for accused Labra, Galicia, and Georfo to the crime of murder pursuant to Art. 248 in relation to Art. 18 and 19 of the Revised Penal Code,” the court said.
The court also ordered Alvarez, Ramac, Salgado, Alvarez and Reyes to “pay jointly and severally to the private complainant in this case” P75, 000 as civil indemnity, P75, 000 as moral damages, and P75, 000 as exemplary damages.
Meanwhile, Labra, Galicia and Georfo are also ordered to pay P50,000 as civil indemnity, P50,000 as moral damages and another P50,000 as exemplary damages.
The court also directed the National Bureau of Investigation to return Galicia, Alvarez, Ramac, Salgado, Dela Cruz and Reyes to the custody of the national penitentiary to serve their sentences.
Last week, Galicia, Labra and another Bilibid inmate, Alfie Penaredonda, were also sentenced by the Las Piñas City RTC to two to eight years imprisonment after they pleaded guilty for acting as accessories in Lapid’s killing in October last year.
Investigators said the accused talked to Villamor to contact a hit man for Lapid.
Villamor allegedly talked to BJMP detainee Christopher Bacoto, who contacted self-confessed gunman Joel Escorial to do the hit on Lapid.
Remulla earlier said Villamor was killed to prevent him from spilling the beans on the mastermind in the broadcaster’s killing.
The DOJ is offering a P3-million reward to anyone who can provide information on Bantag and Zulueta, who remain at large despite the issuance of arrest warrants by the Muntinlupa RTC and the Las Piñas City RTC for Lapid’s killing.
Bantag and Zulueta were indicted as “principal by inducement” in the murder of Lapid and Villamor.
Last week, Clavano said arresting Bantag is a bit “tricky” because he has “a certain network” in the Philippine National Police.
Bantag is a graduate of the Philippine National Police Academy Class of 1996, although his entire service since his graduation was with the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology before he was appointed BuCor chief in 2019.
