Lapid slay: DOJ resumes probe of Bantag
Suspended Bureau of Corrections chief Gerald Bantag yesterday asked the Department of Justice to reconsider his motion to stop DOJ prosecutors from hearing the murder cases filed against him......»»
Mayor orders probe on alleged consumption of confiscated fish by CLO Enforcement Team
Mayor orders probe on alleged consumption of confiscated fish by CLO Enforcement Team.....»»
NEWS BRIEFS | 25 March 2024
Senate eyes probe of resorts within the slopes of Mt. Apo Following the controversy involving the establishment of a resort reportedly within the famed Chocolate Hills in Bohol province, Senator Raffy Tulfo, chair of the Senate Committees on Energy and Migrant Workers, is setting his sights on the resorts located on the slopes of Mt. […].....»»
James Jimenez’s presence in Comelec event wakes up ghost of debate fiasco probe
What ever happened to the investigation against him? Why was he in the Comelec's headquarters on Monday? Is this the second coming of James Jimenez?.....»»
Angeles toddlers’ death inside car prompts probe into parental accountability
Autopsy results show the two toddlers died of asphyxia by suffocation.....»»
Gealon: Probe companies with colorum vehicles
CEBU CITY, Philippines – A citywide crackdown is being implemented against colorum vehicles or illegally operating public utility vehicles (PUVs). This after Cebu City Councilor Rey Gealon’s proposed a resolution was approved during the council’s regular session on March 20, requesting the Land Transportation Office (LTO) to conduct operations against colorum trucks operating in the.....»»
Philippines booters face Iraq foes
Debuting Belgian coach Tom Saintfiet aims to harness the trademark Filipino fighting heart as new-look Philippines resumes its FIFA World Cup Qualifiers drive Thursday (today in Manila) against fancied Iraq on the road in Basra......»»
ICC can t probe Philippines drug war, Marcos tells Germany s Scholz
MANILA, The Philippines: This week, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. told German Chancellor Olaf Scholz the International Criminal Court (ICC) has no authority to probe the bloody war against drugs conducted by his predecessor. Marcos discussed the Hague-based ICC's probe during a bilateral meeting with Scholz while visiting Germany. Former President Rodrigo Duterte officially withdrew from the i.....»»
3 YouTubers to face raps for interviewing Bantag
Three vloggers will face contempt charges for interviewing former Bureau of Corrections chief Gerald Bantag, who is a fugitive from the law, and posting the video on their YouTube channel, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla announced yesterday......»»
Bantag faces new murder rap over Facebook page
Former Bureau of Corrections chief Gerald Bantag was charged with murder anew over the killing of an inmate who allegedly ran a Facebook page that criticized how he managed the New Bilibid Prison, the Department of Justice said yesterday......»»
NBI files another murder rap vs Bantag
Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said another murder complaint has been filed against former Bureau of Corrections director general Gerald Q. Bantag for the death in 2020 of a person deprived of liberty at the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City. Aside from Bantag, six other persons were named in the complaint filed by the National Bureau of Investigation for the death of PDL Hegel Laping Samson. Remulla said Samson, who succumbed to asphyxiation due to a plastic bag placed over his head, was the "Leon Bilibid" who had been narrating on social media the mysterious happenings inside the Bilibid. Also named in the murder complaint were former BuCor deputy security officer Ricardo S. Zulueta, Victor Erick L. Pascua, and Bilibid PDLs Rolando Villaver, Mark Angelo Lampera, Charlie Dacuyan and Wendell Sualog. Remulla said the four PDLs have admitted their participation in the killing of Samson, who was pronounced dead on arrival at the NBP Hospital on 7 November 2020. At the Las Pinas City Regional Trial Court , Bantag and Zulueta were earlier charged for the death of radio broadcaster Percival “Percy Lapid” M. Mabasa, while before the Muntinlupa City RTC, they were charged with the killing of PDL Cristito Villamor Palana, the alleged middleman who contacted the killer of Mabasa. Warrants of arrests against Bantag and Zulueta were issues by the trial courts, but both remain at-large. The DOJ and the NBI have offered a P2-million reward for information that would lead to Bantag’s arrest, and a reward of P1 million for Zulueta. The post NBI files another murder rap vs Bantag appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Ex-BuCor staff nabbed in Ilocos Norte
ILOCOS NORTE - A former Bureau of Corrections employee was nabbed on a sting operation by members of the Philippine National Police (PNP) Ilocos Norte on Thursday evening, 10 August, for allegedly selling illegal drugs to an undercover officer at Santa Monica Homes, Brgy. 17 Sta. Asuncion, San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte. The suspect was identified as Eugene Julian, 48, a resident of Barangay 17 in San Nicolas town. The operation resulted in the arrest of the suspect after he was caught in the act of allegedly selling shabu to a police poseur buyer. Further recovered and confiscated from the suspect's possession, control and custody are P7,000 buy-bust money consisting of one genuine Php 1,000 with serial number and six fake P1,000 bills with identical serial numbers, ten heat-sealed transparent plastic sachets containing white crystalline substance, BuCor service badge, and ID formerly issued to the suspect. According to official police reports, the estimated weight of seized drug items is more or less 2 grams with a value of P13,600. Sources said Julian resigned from service in 2023 under General Bantag when Julian was supposed to be transferred to Iwahig Penal Colony. The post Ex-BuCor staff nabbed in Ilocos Norte appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
CoA calls out Bucor on delayed projects
The Commission on Audit has called out the Bureau of Corrections for failing to closely monitor the implementation of its prison facility projects worth P984.953 million. According to audit findings, the unfinished infrastructure projects were extra jail facilities at all operating prison and penal farms aimed at decongesting the national prisons by providing additional dormitories to accommodate the growing inmate population. The projects, forged in 2019, aimed to provide segregated facilities to reduce jail violence. The projects included building regional prison facilities at the Leyte Regional Prison, and the Iwahig and Davao Prison and Penal Farm. Renovations were also planned at the Correctional Institution for Women, while at the San Ramon Prison and Penal Farm a one-story building was to be constructed. The projects all had a target deadline. On 25 November 2019, the BuCor received a P1-billion Special Allotment Release Order to construct and rehabilitate the prison facilities. However, an audit revealed that as of 31 December, four of the projects remained incomplete, notwithstanding that they had exceeded the extension of completion date. Primary concern Moreover, CoA noted that despite the non-completion of the projects within the agreed period of completion, liquidated damages equal to at least 1/10 of one percent of the cost of the unperformed portion of works for each day of delay were not imposed or deducted from the claims of the contractors, contrary to the Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations of the Government Procurement Reform Act (RA 9184). State auditors pointed out that failure to effectively oversee the infrastructure projects not only resulted in the delay in their completion but also a delay in providing relief for the congestion at BuCor’s prison facilities for persons deprived of liberty. In response, BuCor explained that the chief of the General Services Division constituted the Inspectorate Team for the Design and Build Project of the BuCor Facility — the team responsible for ensuring efficient and effective project monitoring and site assessment validation through ocular site inspections at the corresponding project sites. Now, the officers concerned, including ex-BuCor director general Gerald Bantag, will be held accountable for the variance in the actual site conditions and the approved project documents. The BuCor said a case has been filed with the Ombudsman for plunder, malversation of public funds and corresponding administrative charges against officials under the previous administration. The post CoA calls out Bucor on delayed projects appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Remulla repeats Bantag surrender call
Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla yesterday renewed his call for former Bureau of Corrections Director General Gerald Q. Bantag to surrender and face murder charges. Bantag had been charged before the regional trial courts of Las Piñas City and Muntinlupa City for the killing of radio commentator Percival “Percy Lapid” Mabasa and Cristito Villamor Palana, an inmate tagged as the middleman of the crime. Despite the issuance of warrants of arrest by the RTCs, Bantag remains at large. “He (Bantag) will have a fair trial, just surrender,” Remulla said. The secretary said he has received reports that Bantag has been spotted in Luzon. “There were also reports that he went down to Manila for a while. I think he is back in the north now,” according to Remulla. A P2 million bounty was offered by the Department of Justice to anyone who would be able to provide information that will lead to the arrest of Bantag, though Remulla said he prefers his surrender. “I hope he changes his mind about being a fugitive from justice because it will not do him any good and it is not doing our society any good. We do not want to romanticize people who want to defy the law. | We want people to follow the rule of law because it is the hallmark of a stable society,” Remulla said. “We will not be inventing out of the blue. We will present the evidence that we have, the legal theory that we have developed and then, if the justice system finds him innocent, then he can have his liberty. But if he is found guilty then he has to suffer for it. It’s just that he has to undergo through the process of trial,” he added. The post Remulla repeats Bantag surrender call appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Remulla urges Bantag anew to surrender
Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin “Boying” C. Remulla yesterday renewed his call for former Bureau of Corrections Director General Gerald Bantag to surrender to face his cases in court. Murder charges have been filed against Bantag before the regional trial courts of Las Pinas City and Muntinlupa City for the slaying of radio commentator Percival “Percy Lapid” Mabasa and Cristito Villamor Palana, a person deprived of liberty and the alleged “middleman’ in the killing of the broadcaster. Despite the warrants of arrest issued by the two RTCs, Bantag has not surrendered or has been arrested. “He (Bantag) will have a fair trial, just surrender,” Remulla said, adding that he has received reports that Bantag has been spotted in Luzon. “But there were also reports that he went down to Manila for a while. I think he is back in the north now,” he said. A P2 million bounty has been offered by the DOJ to anyone who would be able to provide information leading to the arrest of Bantag, though Remulla said he prefers the surrender of Bantag. “I hope he changes his mind about being a fugitive from justice, because it will not do him any good and it is not doing our society any good. We do not want to romanticize people who want to defy the law. We want people to follow the rule of law because it is the hallmark of a stable society,” Remulla said. Remulla issued the assurance that “We will not be inventing out of the blue. We will present the evidence that we have, the legal theory that we have developed and then, if the justice system finds him innocent, then he can have his liberty. But if he is found guilty, then he has to suffer for it. It’s just that he has to undergo through the process of trial.” The post Remulla urges Bantag anew to surrender appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
EDITORIAL - More deaths in the NBP
With the ouster of Gerald Bantag as Bureau of Corrections chief and the disappearance of his deputy Ricardo Zulueta following their indictment for the murder of broadcaster Percival “Percy Lapid” Mabasa, you’d think the level of deadly violence at the New Bilibid Prison would have gone down......»»
83 NBI detainees transferred to NBP
Bureau of Corrections Director General Gregorio Pio Catapang yesterday accepted from NBI Director Menardo de Lemos 83 NBI detainees that were being transferred to the National Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City. The detainees were transferred from the NBI detention center to Building 14 of the Maximum Security Compound of NBP. Catapang said persons deprived of liberty who testified against fugitive former BuCor Chief Gerald Bantag will be also be transferred to BuCor custody. Also transferred to NBP are PDLs who testified against former Sen. Leila de Lima, from the Marines detention facility in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City and ISAFP Facility in Camp Aguinaldo. The transferred detainees will not be allowed to leave Building 14 unless there is coordination with the BuCor. The Bureau of Corrections will temporarily house the NBI detainees while the latter’s main building, including its detention facility in Manila, will be demolished and a new building constructed. Last March, the BuCor and the NBI signed a memorandum of agreement where the former would allow the use of its facilities as temporary lock-up facilities for individuals arrested by the NBI, with the latter providing its own personnel to guard and secure the facility and immediate premises. Under the MOA, all persons detained at said facility would be under the responsibility of the NBI, subject to existing rules and regulations of BuCor, which include visiting privileges to be granted by the NBI to the families, friends and lawyers of the detainees. Catapang said that that if there are NBI detainees who will attend hearings or will be brought out for medical check-up, proper coordination should be in place since they will go through their checkpoints. Under the MOA, the NBI shall be responsible for the custody of their detainees including their transfer to attend court hearings. The NBI will also provide sufficient manpower complement for the administration of the said facilities, including the necessary security escort personnel of the detainees. The NBI shall also be responsible for providing its detainees with basic needs such as food, water and other provisions. The post 83 NBI detainees transferred to NBP appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Abalos lauds PNP over the conviction of 3 middlemen in Percy Lapid murder
Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary Benjamin "Benhur" Abalos Jr. on Monday commended the efforts of the Philippine National Police that helped lead to the conviction of three middlemen in the Percy Lapid murder case. On Friday, Aldrin Galicia, Alvin Labra, and Alfie Peñaredonda, respectively leaders of the Sputnik, Batang City Jail and Happy Go Lucky gangs in the New Bilibid Prison, pleaded guilty to being accessories to the murder of journalist Percival Mabasa, also known as "Percy Lapid," before the Regional Trial Court of Las Piñas City. "From the beginning, the police exerted herculean efforts to solve this case, in cooperation with the National Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Justice," Abalos said. "From unearthing the CCTV video that led to the identification of the gunman Joel Escorial, to the unrelenting pressure that resulted in the gunman's surrender, and the investigative efforts that helped expose the vast criminal network involved, the PNP has performed above and beyond the call of duty," the DILG chief added. Lapid was gunned down outside his subdivision in Las Piñas on 3 October 2022. His self-confessed killer, Joel Escorial, surrendered on 17 October 2022, and named Bilibid inmate Jun Villamor as his recruiter. On 18 October 2022, Jun Villamor was killed inside his cell, allegedly to silence him. Subsequently, the DOJ charged former Bureau of Corrections Chief Gerald Bantag and his deputy Ricardo Zulueta as principals in the murders of Lapid and Villamor. The pair are currently at large and facing a government manhunt. Abalos also thanked DOJ Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla and the NBI. "Our agencies' joint efforts enabled us to crack this case quickly. This is a sterling example of the effectiveness of our whole-of-government approach. We take this opportunity to express our deepest sympathies for the Mabasa family. We assure them that there will be no let up until we bring the masterminds to justice," he said. The post Abalos lauds PNP over the conviction of 3 middlemen in Percy Lapid murder appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Clavano apologizes for faux pas vs Bantag
Justice assistant secretary and spokesman Atty. Mico Clavano yesterday apologized and corrected his earlier statement that one of the major reasons authorities could not arrest former Bureau of Corrections director general Gerald Q. Bantag was due to his police connections. Clavano in a message said, “I apologize for any confusion my earlier statement may have caused. I would like to correct my error and clarify that Mr. Bantag did not serve in the Philippine National Police, but rather graduated from the Philippine National Police Academy.” He added, “I regret any confusion this may have caused and hope this clarification clears up any misunderstanding.” The DoJ official previously acknowledged the complexity of apprehending Bantag due to his connections within the police force and other law enforcement agencies. Yesterday, the Philippine National Police apparently took offense to the statement of Clavano that one of the major reasons why Bantag could not be easily arrested is his police connections. Brig. Gen. Redrico Maranan, PNP chief public information officer, said Bantag has never joined the police organization and as such, has never been a police officer — contradicting the DoJ spokesman’s statement that Bantag “is a police officer.” “The Philippine National Police would like to clarify that Mr. Gerald Bantag has never been a member of the Philippine National Police, based on record, he used to be a Bureau of Jail Management and Penology officer before his appointment in Bureau of Corrections,” said Maranan in a statement. While Bantag graduated from the PNP Academy, he chose to be in the BJMP after his graduation in 1996. Graduates of the PNPA have the option to choose among the PNP, BJMP and the Bureau of Fire Protection after their graduation. The DoJ has offered P2-million reward for any information that could lead to the arrest of Bantag who was charged with murder for the death of an inmate at the New Bilibid Prison. A P1-million reward was also offered to his then deputy, Ricardo Zulueta. Clavano was quoted saying that Bantag’s police connections makes his arrest tricky, Maranan said the PNP remains committed to its task of enforcing the law, including arresting fugitives from justice. “We want to emphasize that irrespective of one’s rank, stature, or source of commissionship of any officer; the PNP will arrest any individual who has violated the law. The achievements of our police tracker teams exemplify our record in arresting wanted persons,” Maranan said. The post Clavano apologizes for faux pas vs Bantag appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
No waiting for P3-M tipster’s reward — DoJ
The Department of Justice assured yesterday that the P3-million total reward it offered to anyone who could provide information leading to the arrest of fugitives Gerald Bantag and Ricardo Zulueta would be immediately given to the tipster in full. Justice Assistant Secretary Jose Dominic Clavano gave the guarantee, saying: “The reward will be given upon the successful arrest and apprehension of both Mr. Bantag and Zulueta.” Bantag and Zulueta, former top officials at the Bureau of Correction, were tagged in the killing of journalist Percival “Percy Lapid” Mabasa and New Bilibid Prison detainee Cristino Villamor. Villamor was killed inside the NBP hours after a self-confessed gunman in the Mabasa killing tagged him as the go-between who hired him on behalf of the alleged masterminds, Bantag and Zulueta. The post No waiting for P3-M tipster’s reward — DoJ appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
DoJ paying for its folly
In attempt to salvage an embarrassing situation where it could not prosecute suspects in a crime it prematurely, recklessly, unlawfully and repeatedly pointed to as the mastermind and accomplice in the killing of a radio commentator, the Department of Justice, particularly its head, is now offering a P3 million reward to anyone who can give information leading to the arrest of former Bureau of Prisons Director Gerald Bantag and his deputy Ricardo Zulueta. It will be recalled that the bossman of the DoJ has been severely criticized by this column for his penchant and nasty habit of calling press conferences and issuing public statements accusing and condemning Bantag for masterminding the killing of the victim, despite the lack of credible evidence, and worse, with no preliminary investigation conducted to determine the existence of probable cause. To keen observers, especially those with a legal education and training, those pre-judgmental statements not only violated the constitutional right of Bantag to be presumed innocent until proven guilty by a competent court but are brazenly unconstitutional and an obnoxious trial by publicity that put the latter at an utter disadvantage with his reputation tainted. There appears to be an obsession to call attention to himself, giving birth to the reasonable conclusion that those controversial narratives against Bantag are intentional, designed to place the narrator in constant media limelight, to the detriment of the administration of justice. The Department of Justice is mandated by law not only to prosecute transgressors of the law but, more importantly, to render justice to everyone. Certainly, prejudging the guilt of a person not yet formally charged before the public is a miscarriage of justice. The concluded preliminary investigation of Bantag and Zulueta, as this columnist previously anticipated, was a farce, it being a foregone conclusion. The panel of prosecutors had no option but to find probable cause against respondents Bantag and Zulueta as their immediate superior had already adjudged them guilty beyond reasonable doubt. They would not dare reverse or embarrass their boss by dismissing the case. And even if the investigating prosecutors had the guts and the scruples to go against their head honcho, the latter could have, naturally, on appeal by the complainants overturned the dismissal of the case, and necessarily the filing of the case in court would be ordered. Any citizen placed in the same situation as Bantag and Zulueta would do what they are doing now. Feeling that they can no longer get justice from the legal system, by reason of the outrageous demeanor of the person who is tasked by law to give justice to everyone, but fails in his bounded duty, they have placed themselves beyond the reach of the law, and have become unwilling and forced fugitives from justice. The DoJ prosecutors cannot proceed to prosecute them unless they are arrested or they voluntarily surrender themselves to the authorities. They cannot be tried in absentia as it is mandatory that the court first take jurisdiction over their person. For now and until they are tried in court we will never know whether they indeed committed the crime or have wrongly been accused. Even assuming that the prosecutors have iron-clad evidence against Bantag and Zulueta, the same become useless and the family of the murdered individual as well the Filipino people will be deprived of knowing the truth behind the heinous crime. Ultimately, the culprit obviously would be the one who created the present situation. In the meantime, Bantag and Zulueta will live the lives of hunted fugitives. Perhaps the police authorities should re-open their investigation and look at other angles and suspects. They may be able to unearth hidden facts and circumstances that will either strengthen their case against the accused or affirm the protestations of the accused that they are innocent. The post DoJ paying for its folly appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»