Bantag anger at Lapid's house visit bolsters murder rap — Remulla
MANILA, Philippines — Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said Wednesday that investigators learned that Bureau of Corrections chief Gerald Bantag, tagged as the mastermind in the killing of radio broadcaster Percy Lapid, was furious when the latter took photos of his house and cars in September.
Remulla called this a new "lead," and said it painted a "clear narrative" on Bantag’s supposed involvement in the killing of the hard-hitting broadcaster.
The DOJ chief said they learned on Tuesday that Bantag did not attend a graduation ceremony of Persons Deprived of Liberty at the New Bilibid Prison last September 9.
"It’s a significant lead that he was absent on that day because on that day Percy Lapid went to his house to examine, to take pictures of his house and his vehicles," Remulla said at an ambush interview at the sidelines of the National Bureau of Investigation anniversary at the Diamond Hotel.
"And the narrations...given to me are very clear about this matter."
After Lapid’s supposed visit to Bantag’s house, the radio commentator released his "Cinderella man" report that allegedly referred to the suspended prisons chief.
"That was the basis. That day itself, when Bantag found out that Percy Lapid is in Laguna, he got angry. He disappeared, he didn’t anymore go back to Bilibid. He went back to Laguna and then he did not attend the graduation," the DOJ chief added partly in Filipino
Remulla stressed that the graduation was an important occasion since the board of trustees of the University of Perpetual Help System Dalta was present during the ceremonies.
"That he did not return [to Bilibid] is a sign that he was very mad. He was very, very livid about it that Lapid went to his house in Laguna," the DOJ secretary added.
The BuCor also posted photos of the event on their Facebook page on September 9. Bantag was not among the attendees of the ceremonies, according to the post.
A Lapid Fire commentary on the unnamed "Cinderella man" was posted on September 6. The video Lapid showed was also dated September 5. In it, he claimed that Remulla should conduct a lifestyle check on a DOJ employee who suddenly became rich, and who now lives in a pricey subdivision in Laguna and has 11 vehicles.
Remulla continued that since the release of the “Cinderella man” video in September, plans to kill Lapid started on September 17. "Everything came into fruition. So you can see, that there is, there’s a string that ties everything together," he continued.
RELATED: ‘Middleman’ in Lapid slay died from suffocation by plastic bag, second autopsy reveals
Answer allegations
Bantag, his deputy security officer Ricardo Zulueta and gang leaders at the Bilibid are named as respondents in the murder complaints that law enforcement filed before the DOJ, over the separate killings of Lapid and inmate Jun Villamor, the alleged middleman in the hit on Lapid.
Remulla appealed to them to answer the allegations against them by filing a counter-affidavit.
"Don’t answer through the media. [File your] counter-affidavit. That’s the process of our law. They should respect our law," he added.
The DOJ chief also said he believes Bantag and Zulueta, who has since gone AWOL, are still in the Philippines since, as government officials, they would need a travel authority before they can fly out.
But Remulla said the DOJ is currently processing the request for precautionary hold departure order, which courts for complaints that are still under preliminary investigation.
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