Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 14) — The Department of Justice (DOJ) found probable cause to file murder charges against suspended Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) chief Gerald Bantag and several others for the killing of radio broadcaster Percival “Percy Lapid” Mabasa and so-called middleman Jun Villamor, a national penitentiary inmate.
The resolution of the DOJ panel of prosecutors dated March 9 and released to the media on Tuesday stated that Bantag and his supposed right-hand man, former BuCor deputy security officer Ricardo Zulueta, will face charges as “principal by inducement.The DOJ said there is sufficient circumstantial evidence to establish that Bantag was the mastermind behind Lapid’s death.Further, the motive of the murder was also sufficiently described – the two videos uploaded by [Lapid] about respondent Bantag and showing the latter’s house with a number of vehicles parked in front,” the department said.The prosecution notes that the timing of the uploaded videos and the commencement of the planning of [Lapid’s] assassination is not coincidental.For Zulueta’s case, the panel also found links of his participation in the killing, citing statements of some respondents.It was respondent Zulueta who provided the amount of ₱350,000 as additional payment to the hitman/killer and told [a] respondent that respondent Bantag is thanking them for the assassination,” it added.Self-confessed gunman Joel Escorial as well as other inmates will also face raps.’ ‘8’: ‘contentWidth’: ‘100%’ ’embedCode’: ‘
BREAKING: The Department of Justice indicts suspended Bureau of Corrections chief Gerald Bantag for the murder of radio broadcaster Percy Lapid and alleged middleman Jun Villamor. | @anjocalimario
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— CNN Philippines (@cnnphilippines) March 14, 2023
