On orders of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin C. Remulla placed under a 90-day preventive suspension Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) Director General Gerald Q. Bantag during the pendency of the probe on the death of a New Bilibid Prison (NBP) inmate suspected of being the “middleman” in the slaying of broadcast journalist Percival Mabasa.
Remulla’s order stated: “Upon orders of the President, you are hereby placed under preventive suspension without pay for a period of ninety (90) days, effective immediately upon your receipt hereof, to preclude the possibility of exerting undue influence or pressure on the witnesses against you or tampering of documentary evidence on file with your office.”
Former Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff Gregorio Catapang Jr. has been named BuCor officer-in-charge (OIC), Remulla said.
He said he met Bantag on Friday morning, Oct. 21, and informed him of his suspension.
He also said the decision to suspend Bantag was arrived at during his meeting with President Marcos Jr. last Thursday night, Oct. 20.
“He (President) asked me to preventively suspend Director General Bantag of BuCor so that there may be a fair impartial investigation on the matter so that all doubts will be put to rest, that there are no sacred cows in this administration,” he said.
On the appointment of Catapang as BuCor OIC, Remulla said: “We agreed that he maybe the best person to start as OIC given his maturity to discern, his experience. He may be a good fit as OIC.”
“Catapang hasn’t assumed office yet. I still have to meet him to give him his designation as officer-in-charge,” he added.
Bantag’s suspension was a result of the death of a person deprived of liberty (PDL) Jun Villamor last Oct. 18, the day the Department of Justice (DOJ) conducted an inquest proceeding against self-confessed Mabasa killer Joel S. Escorial on a murder charge filed by the Philippine National Police (PNP).
Aside from Escorial, also charged by the PNP were brothers Edmon and Israel Dimaculangan and a person identified only as “Orly” or “Orlando.”
In his affidavit, Escorial said that NBP inmate Crisanto Palana Villamor contracted him to kill Mabasa for a P550,000 reward.
“We have a person who is known by three names,” noted Remulla who cited that BuCor records show that a Jun Globa Villamor and a Jun Garcia Villamor got sentenced in two different sets of cases.
Earlier, BuCor had confirmed the death of Villamor. It said the death may be due to natural causes.
BuCor Deputy Director General Gabriel P. Chaclag said: “Initial findings showed no signs of physical external injuries which probably indicate a natural cause of death or no signs of foul play.”
“However, we are still awaiting the official and final autopsy result which will include a toxicology test that will be further conducted today (Oct. 21) to complete the autopsy,” he said.
Chaclag also said that Villamor’s remains lie at the Eastern Funeral Service in Alabang, Muntinlupa City where an autopsy was done National Bureau of Investigation’s (NBI) medico-legal team.
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