160 persons of interest eyed, including Bantag

NEARLY 160 persons, including ranking government and law enforcement officials who were “ridiculed” and subjected to heavy criticisms by murdered radio block-timer Percy Lapid since 2021, have cropped up as “persons of interest” in the ambush-slay case, Philippine National Police (PNP) officials said on Monday.

PNP Chief General Rodolfo S. Azurin Jr. also said that as far as he is concerned, the Lapid case is not yet “solved” since they are yet to determine who really ordered the hit job.

“We have yet to determine kung sino ang mastermind, kung sino ang nagutos. Kung me middleman, saan galing ang utos,” the top cop said.

Azurin said that the around 160 personalities, some of them government, military, police, and other law enforcement officials, were among the subject of “stinging radio commentaries” by Lapid since 2021.

He said the Special Investigation Task Group (SITG) had reviewed more than 600 radio commentaries by the slain radioman since last year as part of their ongoing investigation.

Azurin expressed the solidarity of the Department of the Interior and Local Government-PNP (DILG-PNP) with the Department of Justice-National Bureau of Investigation (DOJ-NBI) and the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) under General Gregorio Catapang in their quest to get to the bottom of the Lapid case.

He particularly thanked Catapang for prompting acting on their request for the custody of a national prisoner who is a person of interest in investigating the case. The convict is now safely under protective police custody, he added.

“Let me clarify that the person of interest is not a suspect but a possible witness who can provide vital information on the activities of his cousin, the late Villamor, aka Cristito Palaña.

Gen. Azurin said that the man was identified thru his live birth certificate and affidavit submitted by his father Restitutio Palana.

The PNP chief said that based on the affidavit signed by confessed gunman Joel Escorial – Jun Globa Villamor, and Crisanto Palana Villamor are the two alleged middlemen who facilitated the hit job on Lapid.

“I join the Honorable Benjamin Abalos Jr., the Secretary of the Interior and Local Government, in expressing the assurance of the DILG-PNP of focused attention to the task at hand, which is to establish the facts to uncover the brains behind this murder. We owe it to the orphaned family of Ka Percy as well as to his colleagues in the media profession to serve the ends of justice, swiftly and decisively,” Azurin said.

According to him, “the turn of events at the National Penitentiary where one key player in this murder conspiracy died is too unfortunate, but nonetheless, all is not lost, our case remains solid, with the confessed gunman, a murder weapon at hand and preserved and a possible witness in police custody and another alleged middleman safely confined in a BJMP facility under tight security.”

Azurin said that all the resources and capabilities of PNP National Support Units have been made available to assist SITG Percy Lapid in the ongoing investigation and follow-up operations.

“Pressing the manhunt operations for brothers Israel and Edmon Dimaculangan and a certain ‘Orly’ will continue without let up, and it will create enough pressure leaving them no options but to surrender themselves to the authorities,” he added.

“We beg the kind indulgence of media and the public that, in some ways, we cannot take them along every step of the way in this investigation without running the risks of premature disclosure of operational information. In due time, we are confident that justice will take its course and this case will come to its logical conclusion,” Azurin said.

‘Autopsy result doubted, ex-BuCor chief ‘POI’ too’

Azurin said that they also need to find answers to some questions which cropped up following the death of the supposed “middleman” inside the national penitentiary.

For one, he said that they need to find out why the BuCor management failed to “segregate” Villamor right after Escorial identified him and despite previous coordination made by the SITG Lapid.

“Bakit despite the coordination, ganoon pa din ang nangyari. Hindi namin alam kung ano ba talaga. Kaya nga me initial coordination tayo sa BuCor pero ang sagot madami daw Villamor doon.

Nung sinabing walang ganung name, parang wala na,” he said.

Azurin said that common sense would say that shortly after the SITG coordinated with the prison authorities, they should have automatically segregated all prisoners with Villamor as their last name.

He said that, indeed, the death of the supposed “middleman” raises a lot of suspicions.

“Duda yung pagkamatay kasi, parang incidental na yung hinahanap namin eh siya ang namatay. Sana nakitaan ng cooperation agad ang BuCor,” the top cop said.

“Me initial coordination sa BuCor and SITG. Bakit hindi pinarating ke Bantag, bakit hindi nila nakita ang sense of urgency nito. Kung nakarating naman ke Bantag, what are the actions taken. Kasi nanghihinayang kami talaga sa effort og SITG,” he said.

He added that they will also leave it to the DOJ-BuCor possibility of conducting a 2nd autopsy on the remains of Villamor amid doubts raised by experts and even the public on an initial NBI autopsy result which showed he died of natural death.

The PNP chief said they are looking into the probability there was “foul play” in the death of the supposed middleman. “It’s too much of a coincidence, the timing is suspect. Papano ka mababangungot sa tanghaling tapat sa loob ng Bilibid eh hindi ka naman makakatulog doon sa mga oras na yun dahil sa sobrang init, sa sikip ng lugar,” he said.

Azurin said that they also need to have thorough access to the cell and cellmates of the deceased prisoner as part of their investigation.

“Definitely, nag-uusap mga yan, thus, we need to conduct an investigation inside their cell,” he said.

The PNP chief said that the suspension of BuCor director general Gerald Bantag would also allow them to press their probe inside the Bilibid prisons.

Meanwhile, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla on Monday confirmed that suspended Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) Chief Gerald Bantag is one of the “hundreds of persons of interest (POI)” in the sensational murder of broadcaster Percy Lapid last Oct. 3 in Las Piñas City.

In a chance interview, Remulla, however, qualified: “He’s a person of interest at least with respect to (the) reckless imprudence (angle).”

Earlier, the PNP disclosed that at least 160 personalities, who were criticized by Lapid in his radio program, are now considered POI.

According to PNP, the POI list includes politicians, policemen, military personnel, and civilians.

Bantag was slapped with a 90-day preventive suspension following the mysterious death of a “middleman” in the controversial murder of Lapid.

He was replaced by former Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief of staff Gregorio Catapang Jr. in an Officer-in-Charge (OIC) capacity.

Bantag’s preventive suspension was ordered by President Marcos Jr. himself, Remulla said on Friday.

It can be recalled that self-confessed gunman Joel Escorial upon his surrender, claimed that the order to assassinate Lapid came inside the walls of the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa.

According to him, they were six of them originally to do the hit and were paid a total of P550,000.

‘Criminal, admin raps vs Bantag’

The camp of Lapid, Percival Mabasa, in real life, is now eyeing the filing of criminal and administrative charges against Bantag.

In a chance interview at the Department of Justice (DOJ) in Manila, Atty. Berteni “Toto” Causing, private counsel and spokesperson of the Mabasa family, told reporters that they are seriously mulling over the filing of reckless imprudence resulting in murder charges against Bantag.

“Kung hindi dahil may cellphone itong middleman hindi sana napatay si Ka Percy. Kung walang imprudence sa kanya, walang cellphone na makakapasok sa loob ng kulungan,” Causing said.

Cellular phones are one of the many, prohibited items in BuCor prison facilities. In fact, Bureau personnel are prohibited from using their mobile phones while on duty.

As for the administrative case against Bantag, Causing told reporters that they may file a case against Bantag before the Office of the Ombudsman.

“We are happy to announce at least administrative case pa lang sasampahan na namin ng kaso si Bantag sapagkat naging pabaya siya at nakalusot ang cellphone (sa loob ng bilangguan),” he said.

A DWBL radio commentator, Lapid was gunned down at the gate of BF Resort Village in Talon Dos, Las Piñas City, while on his way home.

Lapid hosted a radio commentary show called “Lapid Fire,” criticizing fake news, red-tagging, and government corruption. By Alfred Dalizon & Hector Lawas