Supporters of suspended Bureau of Corrections Director General Gerald Batnag, who is one of at least 160 persons of interest in the killing of broadcaster Percival Mabasa, gathered in Baguio City yesterday to call for his immediate reinstatement.
“This is not the right time for us to be accusing anyone,” said Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong.
“I know Gerald—so much is ailing his heart because of these accusations, especially when those charges are not true,” he added.
Magalong, however, also called on Bantag’s supporters to “calm down” and “look at things objectively.”
Supporters insisted Bantag is a man of integrity that is why he was handpicked by former President Rodrigo Duterte to lead BuCor.
Self-confessed gunman Joel Escorial, in a supplemental affidavit, said one of two alleged middlemen in the hit order, Cristito Supporters…“Jun” Villamor-Palaña, told him a certain “Bantag” was behind the killing.
Palaña was killed inside the Bilibid, which is under BuCor, hours after Escorial surrendered and identified the middleman.
Last month, Senator Risa Hontiveros also disclosed audio recordings and screenshots of text messages made by an anonymous caller who tagged one “General Bantag” as having a hand in the killing of Mabasa, also known as Percy Lapid.
In a press conference, Hontiveros played the recording where the caller can be heard saying: “Involved si General Bantag sa pagkamatay nitong si Lapid. Kasali si General Bantag (General Bantag is involved in the death of Lapid. General Bantag is part of this).”
The caller told Mabasa’s daughter he earlier warned Percival that he might be killed, but the latter did not believe him.
The caller can also be heard in the recording as saying that he also warned Mabasa’s brother, Roy, who is also a journalist, as well as Mabasa’s son, Mark, that their lives are also at risk.
“Noong una tinatawagan ko si Percy na mag-iingat ka dahil papatayin ka na. Ayaw niyang maniwala. Ngayon si Roy naman. Ayaw maniwala ni Roy sa akin…Maliit na halaga lang hinihingi ko kay Roy para lang isend ko sa kanya ang ‘Ocho Boys’ ni General Bantag (Before, I called Percy and told him to be careful because he will be killed. He did not want to believe me. Now it is Roy. Roy does not want to believe me…I am only asking for a small amount for me to send to Roy the ‘Ocho Boy’s of General Bantag),” the caller said.
Bantag was the subject of Mabasa’s commentary in his “Lapid Fire” program aired on dwBL and livestreamed on his Facebook and YouTube accounts where the broadcaster said the BuCor official was building a mansion in an exclusive subdivision in Laguna province, with several vehicles parked outside.
Bantag, in an interview on Dobol B TV before the press conference of Hontiveros, said he is open to undergo a lifestyle check if asked of him after he was tagged as a person of interest in the case.
“Even though my name was not mentioned, I know he was talking about me…The vehicles that were parked there were not all mine. I said six of those are owned by BuCor. Of course, I owned some and some of those vehicles were owned by my neighbors,” he said.
He again blamed “powerful drug lords and syndicates” after he was linked to the murder case.
“What did our former president say? Narco-politics. We are nearing a narco-politics (state),” Bantag said.
Meanwhile, the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) confirmed that P550,000 was indeed deposited to Escorial’s account, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said Saturday.
“The AMLC revealed in its report yesterday that what gunman Escorial was saying is very accurate. The P550,000 deposit was there in a certain amount of days,” Remulla said.
Remulla said the P550,000 was deposited in tranches within a three-week period.
Remulla said the NBI will file a complaint on Monday against those who may have been involved in the slay plot.
“We are still looking into others’ possible participation in the plot. Their being co-accused is belated because the investigation will continue,” the Justice chief said.