MANILA, Philippines – Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla on Wednesday pointed to the “Cinderella Man” story that possibly pushed suspended Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) Director General Gerald Bantag to allegedly order the killing of journalist Percival “Percy Lapid” Mabasa.
Remulla detailed how Bantag was absent during the last September 9 graduation ceremony of the University of Perpetual Help in New Bilibid Prison, which was also the day that Lapid went to Bantag’s house in Laguna to expose his alleged wealth.
“Gumagawa siya ng storya, yung Cinderella Man, yung kanyang video, yun iyon eh. Lumabas yung Cinderalla Man, September 15. September 9 nung pumunta sa bahay niya, para kumuha ng pictures sa village, tapos September 17, nagsimula na yung plots.” the DOJ chief said in an interview with reporters.
(He made a story, the Cinderella Man, that video, that was it. The Cinderella Man came out September 15. September 9, he went to his house to get photos in the village, and September 17, the plots began).
Lapid’s Cinderalla Man story came out in September 2022.
Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla
Remulla said that once Bantag found out about Lapid taking photos, he was angry and went back to his village. He said that Bantag’s absence in the ceremony was significant because all of the University of Perpetual Help’s Board of Trustees should have been there.
“Yung kanyang hindi pagbalik doon is a sign also na he was very mad, he was very livid about it,” Remulla stated.
(Bantag not returning there is a sign also that he was very mad, he was very livid about it).
When asked if Bantag was still in the country, Remulla said that it was likely that the suspended BuCor director was still in the Philippines, as public officials needed travel authority to leave. —With video report from Chona Yu, Radyo Inquirer
