Police, NBI to look into Bantag's claims regarding German Agojo —PNP spox

Investigators will look into the claims made by suspended Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) chief Gerald Bantag, the alleged mastermind in the killing of broadcaster Percy Lapid, regarding a convict named German Agojo, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said Monday.

"'Yung kanyang allegation regarding dito po sa German Agojo po ay iimbestigahan po 'yan at titignan din po ng PNP at NBI (National Bureau of Investigation) 'yan," PNP spokesperson Police Colonel Jean Fajardo said in an interview on GMA News’ Unang Balita.

(The PNP and the NBI will investigate and look into Bantag's claims regarding German Agojo.)

“Sabi ko nga before, even the [Department of Justice] and [Department of the Interior and Local Government] po, nagsabi po na from the start we will proceed where the evidence take us,” she added.

(As I have said before, even the Department of Justice and the Department of the Interior and Local Government said that we will proceed where the evidence takes us.)

Fajardo, however, said the PNP is appealing to the public not to lose focus on the investigation and urged Bantag to bring his defense and evidence to the proper quorum like the preliminary investigation.

On Friday, Bantag broke his silence amid the murder complaints filed against him over the deaths of Lapid and Cristito Villamor Palaña, a New Bilibid Prison (NBP) inmate who allegedly served as the middleman in the October 3 killing of Lapid.

According to Bantag, who denied he has a hand in the two killings, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla ordered the NBI to pull Agojo, an inmate, out of the government's witness protection program. Bantag alleged that Agojo has links with Villamor and Joel Escorial, the self-confessed gunman in the killing of Lapid.

Bantag said Agojo, Villamor and Escorial were involved in the death of a judge in Tagaytay City. He pointed to Agojo as the group's ringleader.

"Step down, Mr. Secretary, wala na kayong credibility [you have no credibility]," Bantag urged Remulla in a television interview.

In response, the DOJ said Bantag's actions and allegations came from a "misguided sense of betrayal" after he was named mastermind in the complaints filed in connection with the Lapid killing.

"There's only one issue at hand; that is the related murders of Percy Lapid and Jun Villamor. Let us not muddle the issue, let us not clutch at straws." —KBK, GMA Integrated News