Bantag willing to undergo lifestyle check amid corruption allegations

FILE PHOTO: Bureau of Corrections Director General Gerald Bantag. INQUIRER FILES

MANILA, Philippines — Suspended Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) Director General Gerald Bantag on Tuesday said he is willing to undergo a lifestyle check in the wake of allegations that he is a corrupt government official.

Bantag has been suspended as BuCor chief as he was named among the 160 persons of interest in the murder of broadcaster Percy Lapid.

Lapid, whose real name was Percival Mabasa, is said to have unleashed scathing commentaries on alleged corruption in the national penitentiary and against Bantag in his radio program Lapid Fire.

Lapid was gunned down near his Las Piñas City neighborhood last October 3 and the confessed gunman said “someone from Bilibid” gave instructions for the hit. Bilibid is formally known as the New Bilibid Prison, the country’s main penitentiary supervised by the BuCor under the Department of Justice.

“Opo, wala naman pong problema iyon (Yes, there is no problem with that),” Bantag said in an interview with DZRH when asked if he was willing to undergo a lifestyle check.

READ: DOJ looking at BuCor for corruption, abuse of authority

Bantag also denied allegations of corruption in BuCor. “Ang mga binabanggit naman niya walang katotohanan ‘yon.” (There was no truth to what has been mentioned.)

He then explained that the government owned the vehicles they were using and that the vehicles assigned to him were eventually reduced as he slashed the number of his security detail.

“Binigay ko na rin sa mga tauhan ko na nangangailangan din ng sasakyan. At ‘yung ibang nakaparadang sasakyan na ‘yon sa mga kapitbahay namin,” he added.

(I gave it to my personnel who needed vehicles. And the other cars parked there belong to our neighbors).

Lapid’s reports bite

Lapid’s searing commentary targeted the administrations of former President Rodrigo Duterte and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., and their officials.

Last September 2, in his radio program Lapid Fire, Lapid discussed a former BuCor employee calling for the resignation of Bantag after the NBP reportedly experienced water and power shortage. A month passed before the radioman was killed in an ambush.

During the program, Lapid also took a swipe at Bantag for the deaths inside the NBP.

“Alam ninyo naman si Bantag, ‘pag ‘yan nalagay sa isang pwesto, ang daming namamatay,” the broadcaster-vlogger said.

(You know, Bantag, if he is appointed to a post, many people will die.)

READ: TIMELINE: Veteran radioman Percy Lapid’s slay case

Bantag was suspended under the order of Marcos Jr. after the alleged middleman in the murder of Lapid reportedly died at the NBP hospital – a few hours after the police presented confessed gunman Joel Escorial to the public on October 18.

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