Remulla talks about ‘livid’ Bantag
JUSTICE Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla yesterday said suspended Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) chief Gerald Bantag was “very livid” after learning that slain radio commentator Percival “Percy Lapid” Mabasa went to his house in Laguna on September 9 to take pictures of his house and vehicles.
Shortly after, Lapid came up with the “Cinderella” man story in his radio program about an official who owns numerous vehicles and was building a mansion in an exclusive subdivision in Laguna.
Remulla said Bantag, alleged mastermind who was charged last Monday for the October 3 killing, was infuriated by the story, adding a plot to kill Lapid started on September 17.
“That day, nung nalaman ni General Bantag na andun si Percy Lapid sa Laguna, medyo nagalit (That day, when General Bantag learned that Percy Lapid was in Laguna, he got angry),” Remulla told reporters in an ambush interview during the 86th anniversary of the National Bureau of Investigation.
He said Bantag even skipped the graduation ceremony of inmates of the New Bilibid Prison (NB) in Muntinlupa City that day, and did not report to his office in the national penitentiary.
“Nawala na siya (He was nowhere to be found). He didn’t go back to Bilibid. He went back to Laguna and then he did not attend the graduation. It’s very significant because the board of trustees of the University of Perpetual Help were all there in the graduation, These are people who are really doing a great service to the national penitentiary since they were providing college education to many of the inmates,” he said.
“Yung kanyang hindi pagbalik dun (His not returning to the NBP) is a sign also that he was very mad, he was very, very livid about it,’ he added.
Asked about the importance of the event, Remulla said it’s a “’significant lead” that Bantag was absent on that day that Lapid went to his residence to take photos of his house and vehicles.
“The narrations given to me are clear, about this matter,” he said, adding that state prosecutors will introduce this “new fact” as additional evidence in the murder case against Bantag.
He said these events showed the possible motive behind Lapid’s murder.
“September 17, nagsimula na yung plots (The plot started). Everything came into fruition… there’s a string that ties everything together,” he said.
Bantag has denied involvement in Lapid’s killing, saying he has nothing to gain from it.
Remulla reiterated his call to Bantag and BuCor deputy security officer Ricardo Zulueta to come out and face the charges against them. He said the two have yet to communicate with the DOJ or even send feelers signifying their intention to cooperate in the probe.
He also said they should answer the complaint before the proper forum, which is the DOJ during the preliminary investigation of the case, and not in the media.
He expressed belief Bantag and Zulueta are still in the country, although the latter has gone into hiding days before the murder charges were filed. Remulla said the DOJ is processing a request for a precautionary hold departure order for Bantag and Zulueta.
The NBI said it has received information the two are still in the country.
PNP chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr said the investigation stops with Bantag, based on findings of the joint PNP and NBI investigation team.
“That is what we have established so far, unless new evidence will crop up later,” he said.
Nevertheless, Azurin said the PNP is open to filing of charges against other people if evidence will surface in the future.
Azurin also said he has instructed the Police Security and Protection Group to offer Bantag and Zulueta police security.
UNCLAIMED CADAVERS
Remulla said 120 of 176 unclaimed cadavers of inmates stored at the BuCor-accredited Eastern Funeral Homes in Muntinlupa City will be transferred to the Philippine General Hospital for autopsy to determine whether they died of natural causes or were summarily executed while serving their prison terms inside the NBP.
He said PGH can accommodate only a maximum of 120 cadavers.
On Monday, Remulla said there were indications a criminal organization is operating in BuCor based on the discovery of the unclaimed cadavers of PDLs and contraband seized following Bantag’s suspension.
Remulla said forensic pathologist Dr. Raquel Fortun will lead the autopsy. It was Fortun who conducted a second autopsy on NBP inmate Cristito Palana Villamor alias Jun Villamor, alleged middleman in the Lapid killing. Fortun said Villamor’s death was a homicide, contradicting the findings of BuCor that it was due to natural causes since no external physical injuries were found.
PERSONS OF INTEREST
Remulla said it is too “far-fetched’ to involve former President Duterte in the investigation.
‘’We cannot bring it to that level. That’s political. That’s already the political level but we are not concerned about politics. We are concerned about the crimes,” he chief said when asked for comment after Roy Mabasa, Lapid’s younger brother, raised the possibility that someone else could have been involved in killing.
“Wala. Malayo eh. Iba ito. We’re talking about following the money and the conversations,” he said, referring to the efforts of investigators to trace the money trail in the killing of Lapid.
Mabasa has asked the DOJ if Duterte, a frequent subject of his brother’s hard-hitting commentaries, was among the 160 persons of interest in the case.
Southern Police District Director Brig.General Kirby John Kraft said Duterte is not among the persons of interest in the case.
“Nega na po iyan. We already filed the case at the DOJ prosecutors office,” Kraft said when sought for comment.
On Tuesday, Remulla ruled out the involvement of other people, for now, in the killing of Lapid. This even as he said the investigation is not yet closed, adding investigators are still getting some facts and a lot of people are coming forward with information.
Asked on the possibility that there is someone more powerful than Bantag, Remulla said everything is possible but that the investigators would always follow the evidence. He also asked the public to stop speculation and focus on the facts and evidence of the case. — With Victor Reyes
