DOJ aware of ex-BuCor chief Bantag's whereabouts

The Department of Justice (DOJ) said Saturday that it knows where to find former Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) chief Gerald Bantag, who remains at large despite an outstanding warrant for his arrest over the alleged murder of broadcaster Percy Lapid.

"More than one year already [he's] been hiding as a fugitive, but the efforts are still ongoing. We are aware of his whereabouts," DOJ spokesperson and Assistant Secretary Jose Dominic Clavano IV said.

"It's just that alam naman natin na hindi talaga 'yan papayag na magpahuli nang buhay. Mahirap din na ilagay natin ang law enforcement agents in precarious or dangerous spot. We have been patient… We hope to do this in the most peaceful manner," Clavano said.

(It's just that we know that he will not allow himself to be caught alive. We would not want to put our law enforcement agents to be put in a precarious or dangerous spot. We have been patient… We hope to do this in the most peaceful manner.)

"As any fugitive will do, hindi lang siya nagtatago sa isang lugar and 'yung mga lugar na ito are remote areas, far-flung areas where meron talaga siyang mga supporters. So we hope na we execute itong WOAs (warrants of arrest) peacefully," he said.

(As any fugitive will do, he will not hide in just one place. These are remote, far-flung areas where he really has supporters. So we hope to execute the warrants of arrest peacefully.)

Just this week, the Court of Appeals has dismissed Bantag's petition for certiorari assailing the November 2023 order of the Las Piñas Regional Trial Court-Branch 254 that denied his motion to quash information and warrant of arrest, as well as the court's order that denied his motion for reconsideration.

Clavano said the DOJ, while it knows where Bantag can be found, is being careful as it wants to serve the arrest warrant against him "in the most peaceful manner."

"Lagi kaming bukas sa negotiation sa voluntary surrender... kung mag-surrender talaga siya it will mean certain concessions on the part of the judge na mitigating circumstances. Magkakaroon ng mitigating circumstances kung mag-surrender si Ginoong Bantag," he said.

(We are always open to negotiations for his voluntary surrender... If he really surrenders, it will mean certain concessions on the part of the judge. There will be mitigating circumstances if Mr. Bantag surrenders.)

Lapid, whose real name is Percy Mabasa, was shot dead in Las Piñas City on Oct. 3, 2022.

In March 2023, the Department of Justice (DOJ) filed murder charges against Bantag and former deputy security officer Ricardo Zulueta with the Las Piñas court in relation to Lapid's killing.

The court issued arrest warrants against them and others in April 2023.

The DOJ previously said a cash reward of P2 million would be given for information on the whereabouts of Bantag, while P1 million would have been given for Zulueta.

Last April, agents from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) raided the suspected hideouts of Bantag in Laguna and Caloocan City to serve the arrest warrant against Bantag, but they failed to find him.

Zulueta, meanwhile, passed away on March 15 due to heart failure.

The two were also charged for the death of alleged middleman Jun Villamor. An autopsy by forensic pathologist Dr. Raquel Fortun showed the remains of Villamor to have a "history of asphyxia by plastic bag suffocation."

The self-confessed gunman, Joel Escorial, meanwhile, has been sentenced to up to 16 years of imprisonment for Lapid's killing. — VDV, GMA Integrated News