Las Pinas court orders archiving of murder case vs. ex-BuCor chief

Former Bureau of Corrections director General Gerald Bantag (INQUIRER FILES)

MANILA, Philippines – The Las Piñas City Regional Trial Court has ordered the archiving of the murder case against former Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) director Gerald Bantag for the death of broadcaster Percival “Percy Lapid” Mabasa until the authorities find him.

“Judge Cesar Huliganga ruled that proceedings against former Bureau of Corrections chief Gerald Quitaleg Bantag and former deputy security officer Ricardo Zulueta be shelved,” Roy Mabasa, Percival’s younger brother, said in a social media post.

Zulueta died last year due to cerebrovascular disease and intracranial hemorrhage. The police ruled out foul play in his death.

READ: PNP: No foul play in death of Bucor exec linked to Percy Lapid’s slay

Under the Revised Penal Code, the death of an accused extinguishes their criminal and civil liabilities.

However, Zulueta remains a co-accused.

Mabasa said Zulueta’s family refused to allow DNA testing on the remains of the former BuCor Superintendent.

“The decision [on the archiving of case vs. Zulueta] came after Zulueta’s family repeatedly refused to allow DNA testing on remains believed to be his, hindering the confirmation of his identity,” Mabasa said.

In the case of Bantag, the court, according to Mabasa, said it would “only be reopened once the former prison chief resurfaces and surrenders to authorities.”

Bantag remains the subject of a nationwide manhunt with a P2 million bounty on his head after he was tagged as the mastermind in the killing of Lapid and Bilibid inmate Cristito Palana Villamor, alias Jun Villamor who authorities said acted as the middleman and contacted the gunman to do the hit on Lapid. /gsg