Abalos: Manhunt for Bantag still on

MANILA, Philippines — The manhunt for former Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) chief Gerald Bantag and his deputy Ricardo Zulueta will continue, Interior and Local Government Secretary Benhur Abalos Jr. announced yesterday.

 No arrests have been made after the Department of Justice (DOJ) offered cash reward for their capture.

“It will continue. That’s my directive to the Philippine National Police (PNP),” Abalos said.

Bantag and Zulueta are being hunted for their alleged involvement in the murders of broadcaster Percy Lapid and alleged middleman Cristito Villamor Palana, as well as for torture complaints filed by inmates at the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa.

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) had offered a P2-million reward for any information that could lead to Bantag’s arrest and another P1 million for Zulueta.

Bantag had signified his intention to surrender twice, but he never turned up to face the charges filed against him.

Lapid was shot dead in Las Piñas on Oct. 3. Villamor was believed murdered in Bilibid days after the killing of Lapid.

Based on the timeline of the kill contract mapped last year by the Department of Justice, Bantag allegedly gave the order to kill Lapid and tasked Zulueta to lay down the instructions on delivering the hit.

Villamor’s murder was allegedly ordered by Bantag after the gunman he hired surrendered to authorities.

The murder charges are among a string of criminal cases that Bantag and Zulueta are facing.

Last month, they were indicted for allegedly torturing two NBP inmates.

Guards from the Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm in Palawan have also filed a torture complaint against Bantag.

BuCor chief Gregorio Catapang Jr. has filed complaints for plunder, graft, malversation of public funds, grave misconduct and dishonesty against Bantag over the allegedly anomalous bidding for the construction of prison facilities in Davao, Leyte and Palawan amounting to around P1 billion.