Murder raps filed vs Bantag, others in Percy Lapid slay

Remulla urged Bantag and Zulueta to give themselves up and face the charges. (File Photo: Boying Remulla/Facebook)

MANILA — The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Monday announced the filing of murder complaints against suspended Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) Director General Gerald Bantag in connection with the ambush-slay of broadcast commentator Percival “Ka Percy Lapid” Mabasa.

Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said the Department of the Interior and Local Government, the Philippine National Police, and the National Bureau of Investigation have filed murder complaints against Bantag, BuCor Deputy Security Officer Ricardo Zulueta, and persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) linked to the death of Lapid and the supposed middleman in the case earlier identified as Jun or Crisanto Villamor.

The PDLs facing murder complaints were identified as Mario Alvarez, Joseph Georfo, Christam Ramac, Ricky Salgado, Ronnie Dela Cruz, and Joel Reyes.

“The principle that we adopted here in charging the mastermind is the totality of all the facts given to us by all the witnesses and all the circumstances attendant to the killing. So it’s a totality test,” Remulla said.

He added that “the totality of all the acts points out to the participation of and responsibility of those being charged.”

Remulla urged Bantag and Zulueta to give themselves up and face the charges.

“I’d like to ask Zulueta and DG Bantag to surrender and face the charges. If they are innocent, the law will uphold them and if they are guilty then they have to face the consequence,” the justice official said.

Remulla, however, added that he has already ordered a lookout bulletin against the two officials of BuCor.

Bantag was one of the 160 “persons of interest” in the Lapid case earlier identified by the PNP.

NBI lawyer Eugene Javier said that witnesses’ statements showed there was a “clear and direct line of communication” from Bantag and Zulueta to gang leaders who then communicated with Labra and later coordinated with Galicia.

It was Galicia who orchestrated and executed the killing of Lapid through his gang members and the latter’s contacts outside the National Bilibid Prisons (NBP).

This, he said, led to the participation of the self-confessed gunman, Joel Escorial, and his accomplices.

It was also found out in the investigation that Bantag had a clear motive to order the killing of Lapid because of the latter’s continued exposė against the former on his show, “Lapid Fire”.

And as for Villamor, “it was an attempt to cover up the murder of Percy Lapid.”

Lapid, a hard-hitting tabloid and radio commentator was gunned down on Oct. 3 in Las Pinas City.