Over death of ‘middleman’ in Lapid slay
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Friday ordered the preventive suspension of Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) chief Director General Gerald Bantag following the death of an inmate who had been tagged as the “middleman” in the killing of broadcaster Percival Mabasa.
In a media briefing, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said the President ordered Bantag suspended in a meeting Thursday so that there could be a fair and impartial investigation.
Remulla said he appointed former Armed Forces chief of staff Gregorio Catapang Jr. as officer-in-charge of Bucor.
Remulla said Bantag’s suspension is indefinite and will last as long as the investigation is ongoing.
He said it was the President that chose Catapang.
Bantag’s suspension came after BuCor issued a certification to police investigators handling Mabasa’s case that there is no inmate by the name Crisanto Palana Villamor inside the New Bilibid Prison.
The self-confessed gunman who surrendered to the police, Joel Escorial, said it was Villamor, acting as a middleman, who promised to pay him and three of his cohorts P550,000 to kill Mabasa, who is also known by his radio name Percy Lapid.
Escorialidentified a certain Christopher Bacoto, also known as “Jerry Sandoval,” as the one who convinced his cohorts—brothers Israel and Edmon Dimaculangan and a certain Orly or Orlando—to help him carry out the assassination.
Escorial, the Dimaculangan brothers, and “Orly” have all been charged with murder before the Department of Justice (DOJ).
Escorial will undergo preliminary investigation while his co-accused are still at-large.
Remulla recalled that investigators from the Muntinlupa City police went to the NBP on Oct. 19 or a day after Escorial surrendered to thepolice, to verify his claims.
He said the BuCor denied that Crisanto Palana Villamor was an inmate at the NBP.
But it turned out that Villamor’s records were under the name Jun Villamor, who was serving time for murder, attempted murder and violation of the gun ban.
Remulla said Bacoto, tagged as the “second middleman,” has been secured by the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP).
Remulla said another person of interest, Villamor’s cousin, is now in the custody of the Philippine National Police at its Custodial Center.
Remulla lamented that the Justice Department could have immediately secured Villamor if there was proper coordination made by the police.
Despite the death of Villamor, the DOJ secretary expressed optimism that the investigation would lead to main culprits in the killing.
Remulla added that he has directed the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to conduct a parallel investigation to determine the motives and persons behind Mabasa’s killing.
Based on the initial report from the BuCor, Villamor was brought to the NBP hospital due to loss of consciousness and was pronounced dead at around 2 p.m.
Villamor’s body is being autopsied by the NBI-Medico Legal team at the Eastern Funeral Service in Alabang, Muntinlupa.
BuCor spokesman Gabriel Chaglag said initial findings showed no signs of physical or external injuries, but they were awaiting the final autopsy result, which will include a toxicology test.
Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader Koko Pimentel III urged the PNP to be transparent in their investigation of the Mabasa case.
Pimentel made the appeal following the remarks of Remulla over the death of the “middleman” in the killing.
The brother of slain broadcaster Mabasa on Friday said he had a hunch the alleged middleman in his brother’s death would die after a self-confessed gunman owned up to the murder.
Speaking to ABS-CBN’s TeleRadyo, Roy Mabasa said the death of Villamor happened just four hours after Escorial confessed to killing his brother.
Mabasa, a commentator on radio dwIZ 882 KHZ and dwBL 1242 AM, was killed by motorcycle-riding suspects on Oct. 3 in Las Pinas City.
Fifteen days later, Escorial surrendered to the police and confessedto the crime, saying he and three accomplices carried out the murder in exchange for P550,000.
Mabasa’s family said the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) should be held liable for the death of Villamor.
Police investigators on Friday said they are already working to unmask the person who deposited P550,000 to Escorial’s bank account for killing Mabasa.
Interviewed on Dobol B TV, Southern Police District (SPD) director Police Brig. Gen. Kirby Kraft said they were coordinating with the bank and even the Anti-Money Laundering Council.
Kraft said this action may help determine the mastermind behind Mabasa’s murder.