Bantag’s Caloocan house empty — DOJ
THE Department of Justice (DOJ) yesterday said it has served a subpoena to suspended Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) chief Gerald Bantag in connection with his role in the killing of veteran radio commentator Percival “Percy Lapid” Mabasa.
Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Charlie Guhit said the subpoena was served at Bantag’s last known address in Caloocan City.
Guhit said the barangay chairman told the DOJ server that Bantag has not been staying in the address since he assumed the top BuCor post in 2019.
“Per information received, the barangay captain told the process server that DG Bantag is not anymore staying in Caloocan after his appointment in BuCor. (But) based on our records, the NBI and PNP only provided the last known address of Director General Bantag in Caloocan. The subpoena, insofar as the prosecution is concerned, is deemed served,” Guhit said.
He said they have yet to confirm reports that Bantag is now staying in Baguio City.
“The NBI and PNP should inform the panel of prosecutors by way of manifestation or appropriate pleading about the new address of DG Bantag before we issue another subpoena to DG Bantag,” he said.
The subpoena directed Bantag to attend the preliminary investigation of the case on November 23 and December 5.
“You are hereby warned that failure on your part to comply with this subpoena shall be considered as waiver to present your defense in the preliminary investigation and the case shall be considered submitted for resolution,” it said.
Bantag, along with BuCor deputy security officer Ricardo Zulueta and several prisoners in the New Bilibid Prison, have been charged with two cases of murder for the killing of Lapid and inmate Cristito Palana Villamor alias Jun Villamor, the alleged middleman in the case.
Zulueta went into hiding days before the complaints were filed.
The DOJ has consolidated the cases against Bantag and his co-respondents with the earlier murder complaint filed against self-confessed gunman Joel Escorial, Edmon and Israel Dimaculangan and one alias Orly or Orlando.
Bantag has repeatedly denied any knowledge or involvement in the Lapid and Villamor killings, alleging that he was allegedly linked to the case by drug lords operating in the national penitentiary, whom he said wanted him out of the BuCor.
While saying he would cooperate with the probe, Bantag said he would not surrender even if an arrest warrant was issued by a court as long as Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla remains in his post.
Previously, he said he would rather die than be jailed for a crime he did not commit.
‘SYSTEM IS WORKING’
Remulla, who is in Geneva, Switzerland, told the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) that the speedy investigation and filing of cases against the people behind the October 3 killing of Lapid proves that the Philippine criminal justice system is working.
In his opening statement during the UNHRC’s Universal Periodic Review of the Philippines, Remulla touted the filing of the case against Bantag and the other respondents.
“In the recent case of journalist ‘Percy Lapid,’ we were able to take resolute and pro-active action, upon the express directive of the President himself,” Remulla said, adding that “in 17 days, we completed the investigation, case build-up and filing of charges against a high-ranking government official, the first in decades.”
The DOJ chief, who led the Philippine delegation to the event, also said the investigation on Lapid’s killing has led to the “uncovering of a deeply-rooted criminal enterprise inside the corrections system.”
Earlier, Remulla said the murders of Lapid and Villamor, and the subsequent confiscation of a huge stash of contraband items, including over 7, 500 cans of beer inside the New Bilibid Prison, showed the presence of a criminal organization within the BuCor itself.
He also said then that authorities are also probing whether there was foul play involved in the deaths of over 170 Bilibid inmates since December last year whose unclaimed cadavers were discovered in a BuCor-accredited funeral home in Muntinlupa City.
“I already directed the conduct of an inventory and medico-legal investigation. This is to determine the causes of their deaths,” he told the UNHRC.
“As you can see, the government does not hesitate to take action when there is compelling evidence to do so.We will leave no one behind,” he stressed.
PREMATURE
Former Supreme Court spokesperson Theodore Te said it was a “bit premature” for the Department of the Interior and Local Government and the PNP to already award members of the Special Investigation Task Force that was created to probe the killing of the radio commentator.
Te was referring to Monday’s awarding ceremony at the Camp Bagong Diwa in Bicutan, Taguig City where Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos handed certificates of recognition to the SITG Lapid members.
The SITG is composed of members from the Las Piñas Police, Southern Police District, Criminal Investigation and Detection Group – National Capital Region and the PNP’s Intelligence Group.
It is headed by SPD chief Brig.General Kirby John Kraft.
“Kinda premature? The work isn’t done until a court convicts someone based on the investigation they did — DOJ hasn’t even concluded its preliminary investigation,” Te said in a tweet.
“Unless it’s a Certificate of Participation/Attendance?” he added.
Remulla has earlier said that despite the filing of murder cases against Bantag and the other respondents, the case is still only 95 percent solved as an investigation is still underway.
The Mabasa family has also asked authorities to probe whether someone more influential than Bantag had a hand in the killings.
