Suspended Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) Director General Gerald Q. Bantag, who has been charged in two murder cases before the Department of Justice (DOJ), denied he had been digging a tunnel at the compound of the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa City.
“Walang tunnel doon (There is no tunnel there),” Bantag said during an interview with DZBB on Thursday, Nov. 17.
He then called BuCor Officer-in-Charge Gregorio Pio P. Catapang Jr. a “liar” for insinuating that the excavation at the NBP is a tunnel.
“Totoong may hukay doon. Pinapagawan ko yan ng scuba diving pool (It is true that there is an excavation there. I was constructing a scuba diving pool),” he said.
Bantag said that once built, the facility would be used to train BuCor personnel for diving and, eventually, could be used for training by others.
“Sa BuCor kailangan pa rin namin elligible sa water rescue. Anytime pwede gamitin (The BuCor should be elligible for water rescue. Anytime it can be used),” he said as he pointed out that prison personnel have been actively engaged in rescue operations during typhoons.
Bantag said the setting up of a diving pool was funded by a firm which signed a joint venture with the bureau that includes in the agreement the donation of a 234-hectare property in Gen. Tinio, Nueva Ecija where the Bilibid could be relocated. He did not name the firm.
Last Wednesday, Nov. 16, Catapang said the excavation at NBP has a depth of 30 meters and width of about 300 meters, and there was a cave that was carved out with a height of five feet and eight inches.
Catapang said the end of the tunnel is located at the director general’s quarters.
“Alam mo yung quarters ko, yung director's quarters, ‘yun yung pinakadulong property ng BuCor na may pader at may creek na puwede ka na rin tumakas (You know my quarters, the director’s quarters, is located at the end of the BuCor property where there’s a wall and a creek where anyone can escape through),” he said.
However, Catapang said BuCor could not yet determine what the excavation is for.
“Pag-aralan natin. Mahirap magsabi ng patapos (We will look into what it is for. It is hard to make conclusions),” said Catapang who refused to conclude that the excavation is meant to be used as an escape tunnel.
During the same interview, Bantag expressed his suspicion that the 7,500 beer in cans surrendered by NBP persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) were planted to make him look bad.
“Yun and nakikita ko diyan (That’s what I see in it),” he said.
He also suspected that Catapang could accomplish so much in a short span of time since being appointed as BuCor OIC last Oct. 21 when he (Bantag) was placed under preventive suspension.
“Samantala sa akin noon hirap ako (I had difficulties when I was newly appointed),” said Bantag who was appointed BuCor chief in 2019.
He also defended his decision to keep horses and a snake at the NBP.
He said the NBP reservation is very wide with difficult terrain that would need horseback-riding personnel in running after inmates who escaped.
“Yung kabayong ‘yun pinili namin mga tauhan namin para gamitin yun horseback-riding patrol kapag merong tumatakas, panghabol sa kanila (We picked personnel for horseback-riding patrol for chasing escapees),” he explained. He pointed out the it would be costly if the BuCor gets all-terrain vehicles.
While, the snake, he explained, was left by one of his subordinates and has been used to run after rats in the office.
Bantag and several others have been charged with murder for the death of radio commentator Percival “Percy Lapid” C. Mabasa and Cristito Villamor Palana, earlier named as Jun Globa Villamor who was implicated by self-confessed gunman Joel S. Escorial as his “middleman” in the killing of the broadcaster last Oct. 3.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) has set the start of preliminary investigation on the murder complaints on Nov. 23.
TAGS: #DOJ #NBP #Bantag #Catapang #Percy Lapid