Bureau of Corrections (BUCOR) Director Gerald Bantag | INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE
MANILA, Philippines — Suspended Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) director-general Gerald Bantag on Wednesday denied his involvement in the assassination of Percival “Percy Lapid” Mabasa, saying he has nothing to gain from it.
Bantag also said he has since received flak since assuming the post but none of his critics has been killed.
“Wala po. Anong mapapala ko diyan?,” he said in an interview over dzRH when asked if he was behind the killing.
(I’m not behind it. What would I gain?)
“Nagtagal na tayo sa BuCor, ang dami namang bumatikos sa ating mga blogger na ganyan. Wala namang namamatay na gano’n,” Bantag added.
(We have been in BuCor for a long time. Many bloggers have criticized me but no one has died.)
He also denied claims of a lavish lifestyle resulting from his post as the BuCor chief.
“’Yung pinakita na video, tinawanan ko nga dahil sabi ko para namang lalabas ngayon akin lahat ang sasakyan. Anim na sasakyan ng BuCor ang gamit ko? Siyempre may personal din ako,” Bantag said.
(I just laughed at the video because it is making it look like I own all the cars in BuCor. I also have a personal car.)
“Ano bang ranggo ko? Galing akong Marine, galing akong serbisyo. Diba ako nakakapagtabi rin? Ang kuri-kuripot ng kasama ko, kuripot na makunat pa. Makakapagtabi kahit sino. Kahit magbobote nakakabili ng motor, nakakabili ng kotse. Ako pa kaya na stable din ang trabaho ko?” he added.
(What is my rank? I came from the Marines, I came from the service. Of course, I will be able to save some money. Even scavengers can buy a motor[cycle] or a car, all the more that I can since I have a stable job.)
Bantag was referring to the video shown by Lapid during his radio show, showing the supposed house and 11 vehicles of Bantag lined up along the street in an exclusive subdivision in Laguna province.
The suspended BuCor chief is one of the 160 personalities tagged as persons of interest in the fatal ambush of Lapid, according to the Philippine National Police.
This is based on the police’s review of about 600 of Lapid’s posts, where they identified 160 of the slain radio broadcaster’s frequent targets on his program since 2021.