MANILA, Philippines — Former Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) director general Gerald Bantag, who is facing murder charges for the killings of journalist Percival Mabasa and inmate Jun Villamor also known as Cristito Palaña in 2022, is expected to be arrested “soon,” according to Secretary Jonvic Remulla of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).
In a statement on Tuesday, Remulla confirmed that authorities are aware of Bantag’s location but have not yet apprehended him. He assured the public that efforts to locate the fugitive are ongoing.
“We know where he is but we have not found him yet. But we will find him soon, pretty soon,” Remulla said.
Meanwhile, Philippine National Police (PNP) spokesperson Brig. Gen. Jean Fajardo, PNP confirmed that there have been reports of possible sightings of the fugitive “somewhere up north” as the PNP continues its efforts to apprehend him.
Fajardo, however, did not specify the exact location where Bantag was spotted.
There is also no record from the Bureau of Immigration that the former BuCor director left the Philippines, bolstering information received by the PNP that he is still within the country.
Bantag has been on the run since April 2024, after the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) attempted to serve an arrest warrant at his hideout in Baguio.
He is accused of masterminding the murder of Mabasa, a journalist known as Percy Lapid, who was gunned down in Las Piñas on Oct. 3, 2022. He is also linked to the death of Villamor, who was found dead in his cell at the New Bilibid Prison on Oct. 18, 2022.
Villamor’s death is suspected to have been part of a plot to silence him after he was allegedly involved as a middleman in the assassination of Mabasa.
While the Department of Justice has been tracking Bantag’s movements, there have been challenges in arresting the former official. Department of Justice spokesperson Dominic Clavano acknowledged these difficulties, noting that Bantag would likely resist capture.
Despite these challenges, Remulla has expressed confidence that Bantag will be caught soon.
In June 2024, the Court of Appeals rejected Bantag’s petition challenging the Las Piñas Regional Trial Court’s November 2023 order, which denied his motions to dismiss the murder charges and arrest warrant.
Bantag argued that the DOJ lacked the authority to file charges and that the case should fall under the Sandiganbayan’s jurisdiction due to his position as ex-BuCor chief.
A cash reward of P2 million was previously offered by the DOJ for information leading to Bantag’s arrest, while a P1-million reward was set for his former deputy security officer, Ricardo Zulueta, who died of heart failure in March last year and also faced charges in connection with the murders. – Emmanuel Tupas