Lapid slay case: Murder raps vs Remulla, Catapang junked

MANILA, Philippines — The Office of the Ombudsman has junked the murder and administrative charges filed by former Bureau of Corrections chief Gerald Bantag against Justice Secretary Crispin Remulla, BuCor officer-in-charge Gregorio Catapang Jr. and several inmates of the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in connection with the killing of broadcaster Percival “Percy Lapid” Mabasa.

In a decision dated May 16, the dispositive portion of which was released to the media yesterday, the ombudsman dismissed for “lack of probable causes” the murder charge filed by Bantag against Remulla, Catapang and NBP inmates German Agojo, Alfie Peñaredondo, Aldrin Galicia, Mario Alvarez and Alvin Labra.

In the same decision, the ombudsman also dismissed for “want of substantial evidence” the administrative complaints of grave misconduct, conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service and conduct unbecoming of a public official filed by Bantag against Remulla and Catapang.

The ombudsman has yet to release to the media the full copy of the decision.

In the criminal and administrative complaints, which Bantag filed last Jan. 4, Bantag alleged that Remulla was the mastermind behind the killing of Lapid and inmate Jun Villamor, the supposed middleman in Lapid’s slay.

Bantag claimed it was Remulla who instructed Agojo to look for people to kill Lapid.

Bantag accused Catapang of conspiring with Remulla by consenting to the transfer of Agojo and several other inmates from NBP to the National Bureau of Investigation.

Bantag’s complaint came as he and former BuCor deputy security officer Ricardo Zulueta are being investigated by the Department of Justice for murder charges filed by the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the NBI in November last year.

The PNP and the NBI earlier identified Bantag and Zulueta as masterminds behind the killing of Lapid and Villamor. The two remain at large.

Lapid, 63, was gunned down on Oct. 3, 2022 in Las Piñas while on his way home from work. Lapid was a hard-hitting broadcaster who used to host the radio program “Lapid Fire” on dwBL 1242.

Later that month, Villamor died while in detention. His death came a day after the arrested gunman identified him as one of the two individuals who supposedly served as a middleman in the contract to kill Lapid.

An autopsy report by forensic pathologist Raquel Fortun showed that Villamor died from “asphyxia by plastic bag suffocation.”