An arrest order has been issued by the Muntinlupa City regional trial court (RTC) against former Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) director general Gerald Q. Bantag and the bureau’s former security officer Ricardo S. Zulueta on a murder charge for the death of a person deprived of liberty (PDL) at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa City.
The arrest order was issued by RTC Judge Gener M. Gito who directed law enforcers to arrest Bantag and Zulueta and present them before the court “to be dealt with according to law.”
Murder is a non-bailable offense.
Aside from the case before the Muntinlupa City RTC, Bantag and Zulueta were also charged with murder before the Las Pinas City RTC for the killing of radio commentator Percival “Percy Lapid” Mabasa on Oct. 3, 2022. Mabasa was found to have exposed Bantag’s alleged ill-gotten wealth.
It was not known immediately as of posting if the Las Pinas City RTC has acted on the case.
In his order to law enforcers, Judge Gito said: “You are required to use at least one body-worn camera and one alternative recording device, or a minimum of two devices, or such number as may be necessary to capture and record the relevant incidents in the execution of this warrant pursuant to the Rules on the Use of Body-Worn Cameras in Execution of Warrants (A.M. No. 21-006-08-SC) issued by the Supreme Court which became effective 1 August 2021.”
Palana died at the NBP on Oct. 18, 2022. Ten days before his death, Palana, also known as Jun Villamor, was identified by Joel S. Escorial --self-confessed killer of Percy Lapid -- as his “middleman” in the slaying of the radio broadcaster.
Autopsy report stated that Palana died of asphyxiation.
A panel of prosecutors of the Department of Justice (DOJ) filed the cases before the Las Pinas City and Muntinlupa City courts following the conduct of a preliminary investigation of the complaints filed jointly by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) against Bantag and Zulueta.
“The preliminary investigation established that the murders of Mabasa and Palana were attended by conspiracy between and among the respective respondents. The plan of the respondents to kill them both, including its execution, was shown by the evidence for the complainants. The prosecution notes that the death of Villamor were intertwined with the death of Percival and that the death of the former was used to cover-up the death of the latter,” said the DOJ in a statement issued last March.
Citing the resolution issued by the panel of prosecutors, the DOJ said that, in indicting Bantag, “sufficient circumstantial evidence have been presented to establish that he masterminded the assassination of Percival.”
Also named as accused in the murder of Mabasa were Escorial who already surrendered and in police custody; Dimaculangan brothers Israel and Edmon; a certain Orly or Orlando; and persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) Denver Mayores, Alvin Labra, Aldrin Galicia, Alfie Peñaredonda and Christopher Bacoto
Those charged for the death of Palana, aside from Bantag and Zulueta, were Galicia, Labra and PDLs Mario Alvarez, Joseph Georfo, Christian Ramac, Ricky Salgado, Ronnie Dela Cruz, and Joel Reyes.
“Several circumstances were shown starting with the fact that when Villamor first called Escorial, the former told the latter not to disclose Bantag’s names if ever the latter were to get caught. Further, the motive of the murder was also sufficiently described – the two videos uploaded by Percival about respondent Bantag and showing the latter’s house with a number of vehicles parked in front. The prosecution notes that the timing of the uploaded videos and the commencement of the planning of Percival’s assassination is not coincidental,” the DOJ said.
It said that the statements of the PDLs who were named as respondents in the murder case also “corroborate the finding and point to Bantag as the one who ordered the killing.”
Based on the statements, Mayores discussed with Labra plans to kill Mabasa after receiving instructions from Zulueta in September 2022.
The DOJ said that after Mayores and Labra were summoned by Zulueta, who conveyed Bantag’s instructions to kill Mabasa, Galicia that same month ordered Palana to find an assassin and was able to get hold of Escorial through Bacoto.
It also said that “after respondent Peñaredonda helped raised the money asked by respondent Escorial, the latter, along with his companions respondents Dimaculangan brothers and a certain Orlando or @Orly carried out the plan to assassinate Percival on October 03, 2022 in Las Piñas City while the latter was driving his Toyota Innova.”
It noted that the PDLs involved in the crime were promised early release and Zulueta also handed Labra P350,000 as additional payment for the killing of Mabasa.