Massive manhunt on for Bantag, Zulueta Las Piñas court orders arrest for Lapid slay

MANILA, Philippines — A “massive” manhunt is on for former Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) chief Gerald Bantag and his deputy, Ricardo Zulueta, who face arrest warrants for the murders of broadcaster Percy Lapid and the alleged middleman in the hit, Bilibid inmate Cristito “Jun” Villamor.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) has deployed tracker teams from the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) to arrest Bantag and Zulueta, who are now considered fugitives.

“On the basis of the warrant of arrest, I immediately ordered a massive manhunt to arrest the mastermind in the murder of Percy Lapid and Villamor,” CIDG director Brig. Gen. Romeo Caramat Jr. said in a statement yesterday.

Judge Gener Gito of the Muntinlupa City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 206 issued arrest warrants on April 12 for Villamor’s murder.

Yesterday, Las Piñas RTC Branch 254 Judge Harold Cesar Huliganga issued arrest warrants over Lapid’s murder.

With the arrest warrants out, Caramat deployed tracker teams who will focus on the case build-up and operational research to determine the whereabouts of Bantag and Zulueta.

“The formation of these tracker teams aims to expedite and organize the search and manhunt for the accused,” he added.

Caramat said the manhunt operation would cover the whole country from Metro Manila to Mindanao.

Villamor was the alleged conduit between the mastermind and the assailants who carried out the murder of Lapid (real name Percival Mabasa) in Las Piñas City.

A panel of prosecutors from the Department of Justice (DOJ) indicted Bantag and Zulueta for Lapid’s murder in a court in Las Piñas.

Caramat gave assurance that justice will prevail by carrying out their mandate in compliance with the directive of Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla.

More arrest warrants

Included in the arrest warrants issued in Las Piñas are siblings Israel and Edmon Dimaculangan and a certain Orly Orlando.

The court did not recommend bail for Bantag and the other respondents.

The Dimaculangan siblings as well as Orlando allegedly conspired with self-confessed gunman Josel Escorial in killing Lapid, who was on his way to his work when he was gunned down last Oct. 3.

The broadcaster was killed supposedly on orders of Bantag allegedly in retaliation for the commentator’s exposés of corruption.

Bantag told: Be a man

Remulla yesterday urged Bantag to “face the music” and “be a man” amid two warrants of arrest against him in connection with the deaths of Lapid and Villamor.

“If he has no guilt in his heart, he should face the music like a man,” Remulla said, adding that Bantag will be arrested wherever he is due to the warrants for murder issued against him and his BuCor deputy Zulueta.

Prosecutors would also seek a hold departure order against Bantag and Zulueta to prevent them from leaving the country.

“If he is spotted by any law enforcement officer, he will be arrested,” Remulla said.

Reliable sources have told him that Bantag is still in the country, the DOJ chief said. — Marc Jayson Cayabyab