DoJ panel to consolidate cases vs Bantag, et al
By J.Lo
“Logistically, for prosecutors, it’s easier for us to do it…besides, Lapid and Villamor cases are really related…they have to be taken together, especially Villamor… Villamor would not have died if Percy Lapid did not perish,” Prosecutor-General Benedicto Malcontento said Department of Justice (DoJ) has formed three-member panel of prosecutors for preliminary investigation of murder complaints filed against suspended Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) Director-General Gerald Bantag and several others implicated in killing of broadcaster Percival “Ka Percy Lapid” Mabasa and Cristito Villamor Palaña, the alleged middleman in the Mabasa slay.
The two complaints will be consolidated, with first filed by National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and Philippine National Police (PNP) last October 18 against self-confessed gunman Joel Escorial and his three alleged accomplices, brothers Edmon and Israel Dimaculangan, and person identified only as Orly or Orlando. The three are still at large.
Charged in the Mabasa case as principals by inducement were Bantag and BuCor Deputy Security Officer Ricardo Zulueta.
Four inmates in the National Bilibid Prison (NBP) were charged as principals by indispensable cooperation for murder of Mabasa: Denver Batungbakal Mayores, Alvin Cornista Labra, Aldrin Micosa Galicia and Alfie Peñaredonda.
Bantag and Zulueta were also charged as principals by inducement in Villamor case. Labra, Galicia and fellow inmates Mario Germones Alvarez and Joseph Medel Georfo were charged as principals by indispensable cooperation.
Charged as principals by direct participation in the Villamor case were inmates Christian Dizon Ramac, Ricky Lamigo Salgado, Ronnie Pabustan de la Cruz and Joel Alog Reyes.
Malcontento said with creation of the panel, subpoenas will be issued to Bantag and his co-respondents.
Malcontento also said respondents will be ordered to appear before the panel and respond to accusations against them.
The panel is headed by Deputy State Prosecutor Olivia Laroza Torrevillas, with Senior Assistant State Prosecutors Charlie Guhit and Josie Christina Dugay as members.
Guhit was initially assigned to handle the case against Escorial and his accomplices.
Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said consolidating complaints will make things easier for the prosecution.
He said DoJ will ask courts to issue precautionary hold departure order against Bantag and Zulueta to prevent them from leaving the country.
The Bureau of Immigration (BI) said no immigration look-out bulletin or precautionary hold departure order has been issued against Bantag or Zulueta.
In a related development, Remulla announced some of the cadavers of prisoners left unclaimed in funeral home in Muntinlupa City have been buried.
“Ten were buried already due to decomposition, 166 left,” Remulla said.
A total of 176 unclaimed bodies of prisoners were discovered at the Eastern Funeral Homes, the only accredited funeral parlor of NBP.
They were discovered during investigation of the Mabasa murder case.
Remulla will determine if there are jail officials who should be held responsible for the accumulation of nearly 200 cadavers.
He stressed that high number of unclaimed cadavers in the funeral parlor “speaks of something ill” about jail system, particularly treatment of inmates.
“We will look into circumstances and investigate…because as you know, this is the totality of BuCor system who was in charge, where, who were the people responsible?” Remulla said.
He also said exact number of cadavers was still being determined since some of them have been in the funeral parlor for months.
Remulla said forensic pathologist Dr. Raquel Fortun of the University of the Philippines College of Medicine will visit Eastern Funeral Homes to check condition of bodies.
“From there, maybe we’ll sort which ones already need to be buried…it depends on what needs to be done, the most humane treatment possible,” he said.
Remulla said the DoJ will publish names of those who died and will try to locate their families.
“If they do not respond, then we will give the bodies decent burial or cremation,” he said.
Remulla also said pending agreement with Philippine General Hospital (PGH) to allow examination of bodies will not be pushed through because consent of families has to be obtained first.
“Maybe we won’t continue… we will just exchange notes on that… I will just write them letter agreeing to their proposal…they already wrote us a letter,” he said.
The PGH had been asked to perform an autopsy on the bodies of 120 inmates.
Remulla said not all bodies can be turned over because of PGH’s limited capacity and some had to be buried due to advanced decomposition.
“I just received report a while ago from acting BuCor director Gregorio Catapang that some of them had been buried because they are already decomposing,” he said.
“We can have them exhumed if there are suspicions of foul play… that won’t be a problem,” Remulla concluded.
ISKUP! 