Reward given after Bantag, Zulueta arrest —DOJ

The cash reward for information on former Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) chief Gerald Bantag and former deputy officer Ricardo Zulueta will now be given upon their arrest, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said Tuesday.

The DOJ made the statement hours after its spokesperson, Asec. Mico Clavano,  said the reward will be given “upon the successful arrest and apprehension of both Mr. Bantag and Zulueta.”

“Upon consultation between the NBI and Secretary, we will liberalize the interpretation of the reward. The reward will be given upon the successful arrest and prosecution of both Mr. Bantag and Zulueta,” he said in a new statement.

“This is done to expedite the capture and move the case forward as soon as possible,” he added.

According to Clavano, this is because their previous goal was to target Bantag and Zulueta’s close contacts who have information on their whereabouts and to turn them against the accused.

“Now, we encourage all citizens who encounter the accused to give information of their whereabouts,” Clavano said.

Clavano said individuals who may wish to share information may reach out through 0945 831 058 and 0928 416 9585.

The cash reward for information on the whereabouts of Bantag is P2 million, and P1 million for information on Zulueta.

Meanwhile, in an ambush interview, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said prosecuting the accused will be the problem of the DOJ.

“Ang problema po sa pag demanda as prosekusyon mismo, sa pag uusid ng kaso ay nasa amin po sa DOJ. Kami po, sa amin po ang prosecutors na bahala nang magpanalo ng kaso pag dating ng oras,” he said.

“Hindi yun pwedeng iasa sa mga taong nag-turo ng mga kinalalagyan sa ating nahuli ng batas,” he added.

Remulla also clarified that the DOJ has funds for such rewards.

The DOJ spokesperson earlier said they have information that Bantag is still in the country and seems to be moving in a certain area.

Warrants of arrest have been issued for both Bantag and Zulueta for the alleged murder of broadcaster Percy Lapid and alleged middleman Jun Villamor.

Lapid was shot dead in Las Piñas City on October 3, 2022 while Villamor died at the New Bilibid Prison on October 18.

Lapid was a broadcaster, whose real name was Percival Mabasa, had an online broadcast program "Percy Lapid Fire" at DWBL 1242. He was also a columnist for Hataw. —VAL, GMA Integrated News