Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, November 12) — The Philippine National Police (PNP) is urging suspended Bureau of Corrections chief Gerald Bantag to “bring his fight in the proper forum” following claims he made on the Percy Lapid slay case.
In an interview with CNN Philippines on Saturday, PNP spokesperson Jean Fajardo said authorities will look into the remarks Bantag made in a recent television interview, but stressed that these should be submitted to the right platform.
“We will be checking on these information but we are encouraging Bantag to bring his fight in the proper forum so he could ventilate properly his defense,” she said.
“He can reduce it into writing and submit his evidence if he claims there are other people behind the murder of Percy Lapid as well as the death of the middleman,” Fajardo also said.
“He has all the opportunity to vent his defense doon sa kanyang isa-submit na counter affidavit (through a counter affidavit that he will submit),” she added.
Bantag, who is facing complaints for allegedly being the mastermind behind Lapid’s death, claimed in an interview with SMNI on Friday that another high-ranking official had ties to the murder.
He said Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla ordered officials to pluck an inmate covered by the government’s Witness Protection Program — who in turn allegedly contacted the other key players involved in the killing. Remulla has yet to respond to Bantag’s allegations.
READ MORE: Bantag to Remulla: Resign amid Lapid slay probe, son’s drug case
Fajardo said that both the PNP and the National Bureau of Investigation are open to probe further should more evidence turn up.
CNN Philippines’ Crissy Dimatulac contributed to this report.
