Former Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) director Gerald Bantag is asking the Court of Appeals (CA) to reverse his murder conviction for the shooting murders of broadcaster Percy Lapid and prisoner Jun Villamor.
In a 32-page petition dated July 10, Bantag complained to CA that Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla, Prosecutor General Benedicto Malcontento, and the prosecutors who handled his murder cases had abused their authority by bringing his case before the Las Piñas and Muntinlupa trial courts.
Bantag stated that conducting the preliminary investigation was an act of "impropriety and failed to muster the required neutrality of an investigating prosecutor" for the reason that he had asked the Department of Justice (DOJ) to recuse itself from the case because of his animosity with Remulla, which he claims could have affected the outcome of his case.
He contends that the DOJ engaged in serious abuse of discretion when it opened a preliminary investigation into the issue, notwithstanding his desire to have the Office of the Ombudsman hear the case instead.
He also questioned the absence of proof connecting him to Lapid's murder in 2022.
Ricardo Zulueta, then-Bantag's constable, allegedly received the orders to kill Lapid and Villamor and subsequently gave them to the jail gang leaders.
The hitmen hired by the gang leaders later confessed to killing Lapid and Villamor: Joel Escorial and members of the Sputnik jail gang.
Despite Zulueta's guilty plea to less serious charges in the twin murder cases, Bantag is requesting that his indictment be overturned.
