LOCAL Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla said fugitive former Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) chief Gerald Bantag is now “close” to being captured, nearly three years after authorities launched a nationwide manhunt against him over the killing of broadcaster Percy Lapid.
Speaking during the Samahang Plaridel Kapihan media forum, Remulla gave a brief but optimistic update on the status of operations against Bantag, who has been hiding since a Muntinlupa court issued a warrant for his arrest in April 2023.
“We’re close. It’s almost done,” Remulla said when asked about the progress of the search, although he declined to provide operational details.
Authorities believe Bantag remains in the country and may be hiding somewhere in the Cordillera Administrative Region, where tracker teams have reportedly been deployed.
In an earlier briefing, Remulla said the government’s latest intelligence indicated Bantag was in the mountainous Cordillera area.
“Our latest information is that he is in the Cordillera region. That’s where our tracker teams are now,” he said.
The former BuCor chief is accused of masterminding the October 2022 killing of Lapid and the subsequent death of inmate Jun Villamor, who was tagged as the alleged middleman in the broadcaster’s murder. Bantag has repeatedly denied the allegations.
Remulla acknowledged that the search has been hampered by the Cordillera region’s difficult terrain and thick forest cover, which limits aerial surveillance operations.
“But you have to understand that the Cordillera region is difficult terrain. It’s mountainous. Before you can even enter the area, there’s heavy tree cover, so we can’t effectively use drones there. You won’t see anything,” he said.
The DILG chief also disclosed that some tribal communities in the area were allegedly protecting Bantag, further complicating efforts to arrest him.
“We need live assets on the ground. The tribes there protect one another, so we are now trying other means to get in,” he added.
To strengthen manhunt operations, Remulla said the government has been cleared to acquire drones equipped with Light Detection and Ranging technology capable of penetrating dense forest canopies and mapping terrain underneath.
“So, we’re going to be deploying them in the next few months for our intensive manhunt operations — for Bantag, for Atong Ang, and for the coming indictments in the flood control scandal,” he said.
The Department of Justice has also maintained a P2-million reward for information leading to Bantag’s arrest.
Aside from the Percy Lapid murder case, Bantag also faced charges related to a 2016 jail explosion that killed 10 inmates. A Parañaque court, however, recently acquitted him of 10 counts of homicide due to insufficiency of evidence.
The murder case linked to Lapid slay remains archived pending Bantag’s arrest or surrender. His former deputy, Ricardo Zulueta, who is also implicated in the case, remains at large.
Remulla expressed confidence that authorities would eventually capture the former prison chief.
“He will be arrested at the proper time,” he said.
