Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 20) — Former Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) Chief Gerald Bantag has offered to surrender, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said on Thursday.
“He [Bantag] spoke to my colleague, one of my colleagues in the Cabinet, to say that he may wish to surrender….I was just told by a colleague that he received a call from him asking if surrender was possible and of course I said yes,” Remulla disclosed to the media.
\”That’s why we are not pushing for law enforcement to hurry up the process,\” he added. \”But of course, it is the job of law enforcement still to enforce the warrant of arrest.\”
Two courts earlier issued warrants of arrest for Bantag and several other former BuCor officials for the murders of veteran broadcaster Percival “Percy Lapid” Mabasa, and New Bilibid Prison inmate Jun Villamor, an alleged middleman in the killing of the radio anchor.
READ:
Court orders arrest of ex-BuCor chief Bantag, 4 others for murder of Percy Lapid
Court issues arrest warrant vs. ex-BuCor officials Bantag, Zulueta
Remulla said Bantag called his Cabinet colleague five or six days ago.
When asked for the identity of his colleague, Remulla replied: \”Huwag muna pag-usapan ngayon [Let’s not speak of this now] because I told my colleague that I will hold his identity in confidence.\”
The justice secretary added that he would check with his colleague again to see if Bantag had followed up on his offer to surrender.
Meanwhile, Ricardo Zulueta, Bantag’s right-hand man and fellow respondent on the arrest warrants, was not named in the potential surrender, he said.
Remulla added that Bantag is still in the country and the Department of Justice has the means to track him down.
