Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 13) — A Muntinlupa court has issued a warrant of arrest against former Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) chief Gerald Bantag and former Deputy Security Officer Ricardo Zulueta over the death of one of the alleged middlemen in the killing of journalist Percival “Percy Lapid” Mabasa.
The Muntinlupa City Regional Trial Court Branch 206 issued the non-bailable warrant on Wednesday for the crime of murder.
The two were allegedly involved in the October killing of “middleman” and New Bilibid Prison (NBP) inmate Jun Villamor.
Villamor was found unconscious inside the NBP on Oct. 18, hours after the self-confessed gunman in the murder of Lapid surrendered to authorities.
He was brought to the prison hospital but was declared dead on the same day.
Findings by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) showed that there were no signs of foul play or physical injuries on his body.
But a second autopsy conducted by forensic pathologist Raquel Fortun revealed that he died from plastic bag suffocation.
Authorities later said four members of the Sputnik gang inside the NBP were ordered to kill Villamor, who was also part of the group.
According to the NBI, the gang members received orders from Bantag and Zulueta.
READ: NBI: Inmates who killed alleged middleman in Lapid slay only received orders from Bantag, Zulueta
The two jail officials were also accused of being behind the fatal shooting of Lapid in Las Piñas City on Oct. 3, with Bantag tagged as the “mastermind.”
They both denied the allegations.
READ: Bantag to collaborate with Zulueta on Lapid murder case
Last month, the Department of Justice found probable cause to file murder charges against the two, along with several others, in relation to both the Lapid and Villamor cases.
In the meantime, the Mabasa camp said they expect that arrest warrants against Bantag, Zulueta, and other suspects over Lapid’s death will be issued “in a matter of days.”
Bantag was suspended as BuCor chief in October after being implicated in the killing of the veteran journalist. In March, he was formally replaced as director-general by Gregorio Catapang Jr., who acted as officer-in-charge while he was suspended.
“Inaasahan natin na sa lalong madaling panahon ay lalabas na rin yung warrant of arrest diyan [We hope that the arrest warrant will be released soon],” the Mabasa family’s legal counsel Atty. Danilo Pelagio told CNN Philippines’ News Night.
“In a matter of days na lang kasi sabay lang naman finile yung information against sa mga akusado. So ineexpect natin na may kaunting difference na ilang araw lang,” Pelagio added.
[Translation: We expect it in a matter of days because the information against the accused were filed at the same time. So we expect that there will be a slight difference of only a few days.]
Pelagio also hopes Bantag and Zulueta will “voluntarily surrender and submit to the processes of the court.”
