Lookout bulletin order for Bantag, Zulueta issued

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Justice (DOJ) has issued an Immigration Lookout Bulletin Order (ILBO) against suspended Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) chief Gerald Bantag and former deputy security officer Ricardo Zulueta.

This is in connection to the deaths of broadcaster Percy Lapid and middleman Cristito Villamor Palaña (previously identified as Crisanto or Jun Villamor).

In the order, the DOJ said it issued the ILBO considering that “there is a strong possibility” that Bantag and Zulueta may attempt to leave the country due to the gravity of the complaints they are facing.

“Thus, this Department deems the issuances of an ILBO against the above-subject individuals prudent in order to at least monitor the itineraries of their flight travel and/or whereabouts,” the DOJ said.

However, the justice department said the lookout bulletin is for “monitoring purposes” only.

“An ILBO is for monitoring purposes only and it is not, in and of itself, a sufficient prohibition for a subject’s departure from the Philippines,” the ILBO read.

In a separate message to reporters, DOJ spokesman Jose Dominic Clavano IV said the ILBO is only a “precautionary measure.”

“It is indeed not necessary but it is prudent to monitor any international travel of the respondents,” he said.

For her part, Immigration spokesperson Dana Dandoval said the lookout bulletin order was implemented on December 9.

Bantag and Zulueta are currently facing two complaints of murder for the killing of Lapid and Palaña but they have since denied any involvement on the said deaths.

Lapid was shot dead in Las Piñas City last October 3, while Palaña died at the New Bilibid Prison.

An independent autopsy by top forensic pathologist Raquel Fortun on the remains of Palaña showed that the alleged middleman may have suffocated from a plastic bag placed over his head.

JMS