Bantag urged: Surrender, trust justice system

MANILA, Philippines — As they continue to hide from the authorities, the family of slain broadcaster Percy Lapid called out former Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) chief Gerald Bantag and other accused suspects in the journalist’s murder to come out in the open and face charges filed against them in court.

Lapid’s brother Roy Mabasa said yesterday Bantag should surrender to the authorities.

“I hope Gerald Bantag et al. would heed the call of authorities and present themselves in the court of law,” Mabasa said in a text message.

Las Piñas Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 254 Judge Harold Cesar Huliganga issued arrest warrants against Bantag, his deputy Ricardo Zulueta, siblings Israel and Edmon Dimaculangan and a certain Orly Orlando.

Judge Gener Gito of the Muntinlupa City RTC issued warrants of arrest on April 12 against Bantag and Zulueta for the murder of New Bilibid Prison inmate Cristito Villamor, the conduit between the mastermind and the assailants in Lapid’s killing.

Mabasa welcomed the issuance of arrest warrants against Bantag and the other respondents.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Friday launched a massive manhunt against Bantag and the other suspects with its investigative arm, the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, deploying tracker teams to locate the former BuCor director.

Bantag previously said he will never surrender even if an arrest warrant is issued against him as long as Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla remains at his post.

“If Boying doesn’t comply and steps down, I’m not surrendering even if there’s a warrant against me,” he said in Filipino in an interview with CNN Philippines last November, using Remulla’s nickname.

Bantag has hurled profanities against Remulla, accusing him of being biased against him.

Waning support

The galvanized support for Bantag – who has roots in Benguet – from the Cordillera Autonomous Region seems to have lost steam, with the continuing hunt for the embattled former police general.

Even Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong, also a former police general, had not issued any support statement about the warrant of arrest issued against Bantag.

Magalong spoke kindly about Bantag during a gathering of supporters at Burnham Park’s Melvin Jones football field several months ago, likening his situation to when he was being falsely persecuted for “speaking it right” about corruption in the PNP.

Several months later, the mayor has become mum about Bantag, especially with the ongoing hunt for him and Zulueta.

Even Zulueta’s counsel, Baguio City-based veteran defense lawyer Lauro Gacayan, remains silent about his client’s arrest warrant.

Bantag’s counsel Rocky Thomas Balisong rejected interviews with journalists despite repeated inquiries on the recent developments of his client’s case.

The Balisong-led lawyers’ group, ILaBan, or Igorot Lawyers for Bantag, are also quiet about the recent developments, including other groups in the Cordillera who previously were outspoken in support of the embattled former BuCor chief.

‘Trust justice system’

Bantag should surface, yield and trust the justice system for his own peace of mind, Sen. Bato dela Rosa said yesterday.

In an interview over dwIZ, dela Rosa said if Bantag is claiming he is innocent, then he should face the charges and defend himself.

“For peace of mind, he should surrender, submit himself to justice and face charges. And if he is innocent, he will be set free, we will still trust our justice system,” dela Rosa added in Filipino. – Cecille Suerte Felipe, Artemio Dumlao