THE PHILIPPINE National Police (PNP) on Tuesday welcomed the Department of Justice's (DOJ) move to offer a reward for information that could lead to the arrest of former Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) chief Gerald Bantag and former BuCor deputy security officer Ricardo Zulueta, the alleged masterminds in the killing of broadcaster Percival "Percy Lapid" Mabasa.
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| (Photo courtesy of DOJ) |
“We welcome yung move ng DOJ na magbigay ng reward. On the part of the PNP ay umaasa kami na ito pong reward na pinublish ng DOJ will convince and encourage yung mga tao na maaaring alam yung posibleng kinaroroonan nung dalawa(ng) suspect na magbigay ng impormasyon para sa madaliang pagkakaaaresto nitong dalawa personalidad (We welcome the move by the DOJ to give a reward. On the part of the PNP, we hope that this reward published by the DOJ would convince and encourage people who may know the possible whereabouts of the two suspects to provide information for their quick arrest),” PNP spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo told reporters when sought for a comment in a phone interview.
This came after the DOJ released a wanted poster and offered a bounty of PHP2 million and PHP1 million for Bantag and Zulueta, respectively.
Bantag and Zulueta are facing murder charges before the Muntinlupa and Las Piñas regional trial courts over last year’s killing of Mabasa and Cristito Palaña Villamor alias Jun Villamor, an inmate of the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City.
Villamor was said to be a middleman in the case as he allegedly hired self-confessed gunman Joel Escorial to kill Lapid. He was later killed allegedly on Bantag’s order coursed through Zulueta, to prevent him from spilling the beans on the mastermind in Lapid’s killing.
Bantag and Zulueta are on the run since warrants for their arrests have been issued by the courts.
Fajardo said the Criminal Investigation Detection Group (CIDG) has already created tracker teams and immediately when the warrants of arrest against these personalities came out.
“Our tracker teams are working double-time to confirm the reports we are receiving on their possible whereabouts and as we speak, manhunt operations continue to be conducted, only CIDG, as well as other PNP units,” she said.
Fajardo said they have yet to receive any surrender feelers from the two suspects.
“Wala pa tayong impormasyon na nare-receive na nakalabas sila ng bansa dahil based sa ating coordination sa BI (Bureau of Immigration) ay wala pa naman report na nakalabas na sila ng bansa (We have not received any information on whether they have left the country because based on our coordination with the BI, there is no report that they have left the country) using our official ports and airports,” she added.
Meanwhile, Metro Manila top cop Maj. Gen. Edgar Allan Okubo said they continue to hunt the two suspects.
“We continue to monitor, we continue to locate them. Hindi naman tayo nagpapahinga diyan at yung mga tracking teams natin (We are not resting and our tracking teams) are reporting weekly (on) the progress on their whereabouts. If may dumating na (If there is a piece of) information, of course, we have to validate and we start with that piece of information,” Okubo told reporters in a separate interview held at National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) headquarters in Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City.
“With or without the reward money, the PNP will continue to track them. The announcement of the reward money will just add to the chance for them to give info on their whereabouts.”
Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said they decided to open to the public the manhunt for Bantag and Zulueta to increase the chances of capturing the two fugitives immediately.
“We get tips from many of our sources but it’s better that we open it to the public to get hold of Mr. Bantag and Zulueta,” Remulla said as he expressed belief that the two are still in the country.
The DOJ, through the Bureau of Immigration, earlier issued hold departure orders against the two to prevent them from fleeing the country.
The department said information on the whereabouts of Bantag and Zulueta may be reported through numbers 0945-831-1058 and 0928-416-9585. (Christopher Lloyd Caliwan)
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