Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla revealed Thursday that fugitive from justice Gerald Bantag, former Bureau of Corrections (Bucor) director general, who was ordered arrested by two trial courts on murder charges, has sent surrender feelers.
Remulla stressed Bantag’s intention to surrender was confided to him by his colleague in the Cabinet several days ago but stopped short of identifying his fellow member of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s official family.
“He spoke to one of my colleagues in the Cabinet to say that he may wish to surrender,” Remulla said in an interview.
According to him, Bantag is in the country and did not give conditions for his surrender.
“I will talk with my colleague again to ask him if that offer was followed up by another gesture,” the Justice Secretary said.
With the possibility of surrender, Remulla said: “we are not pushing for law enforcement to hurry up the process.”
Replying to questions, Remulla said: “You know it is very difficult to hide from the law.”
Bantag was charged with two separate cases of murder for the killing of radio broadcaster Percival “Percy Lapid” C. Mabasa on Oct. 3, 2022 and for the death of an inmate at the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City on Oct. 18, 2022.
Arrest orders were issued by the Las Pinas City Regional Trial Court on the Mabasa murder case and by the Muntinlupa City RTC for the death of Cristito Villamor Palana, identified as Joel S. Escorial, the self-confessed killer of the journalist, as his “middleman” in the slaying of the broadcaster.
Aside from Bantag, also charged in the two murder cases were former BuCor security officer Ricardo S. Zulueta and several persons deprived of liberty.
The whereabouts of Zulueta remained unknown.