Bantag had some inmates killed over Facebook page, says PDL

Suspended Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) chief Gerald Bantag has ordered the killing of inmates behind a Facebook page that criticized how he ran the New Bilibid Prison, a person deprived of liberty (PDL) has said.

NBP inmate Roland Villaver said he had been close to Bantag since they met in 2004.

“Itinuturing ko siyang kaibigan. Masasabi kong close kami dahil tuwing naghehearing ako, bago umuwi ng Quezon City Jail, nagiinuman muna kami. Siya ang nagbabayad, [kasama] pati mga bantay,” Villaver said in John Consulta’s “24 Oras” report on Thursday.

While he was BuCor chief, Bantag was said to have become upset with the people behind the Facebook page “Leon ng Bilibid.”

The Facebook page contained criticisms against his leadership.

Villaver said Bantag gave him orders in 2020.

“Ang instruction niya sa akin, lahat ng nakipagugnayan diyan sa ‘Leon ng Bilibid,’ tapusin para hindi na pamarisan," Villaver said.

"Patayin. Pagdating kay DG, pag nagsalita yun, mahirap baliin. Mag-iiba ang tingin niya sa iyo,” he added.

He said former BuCor deputy security officer Ricardo Zulueta followed up on the order.

“Nagtext o tumawag ata sa akin si sir Zulueta na may tao diyan sa iyo, ang sabi nila si leon bilibid. Nung binigay sa akin ang pangalan, sabi ko ano ang gusto ninyong gagawin sir? Sabi sa akin, tapusin niyo yan,” Villaver said.

Villaver admitted that he had a hard time convincing inmates under his charge to carry out the order.

“May mga tao ako doon na inutusan, ayaw sana sumunod. Sabi ko naman sa mga tao, kailangan natin gawin, dahil kung hindi baka tayo malagay sa alanganin, kailangan natin mabuhay,” Villaver said.

“Pinaano ko lang sila ng plastic, tapos nilagay sa mukha, pinatakpan ko. Hindi ko alam kung sinunod nila ang tamang proseso o yung sinabi ko, plastic muna tapos unan,” he added.

However, the first three to four individuals who were allegedly behind the Facebook page and killed by his group were all mistaken identities.

“Pagkalipas ng ilang araw, nalaman namin, hindi naman pala yun si leon ng bilibid,” Villaver said.

In October 2021, it was found out that the real person behind the Facebook page was PDL Noel Papong.

Villaver said another group killed him.

He said he only dared to speak up because Bantag was no longer in the position.

Villaver has since been brought to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) together with other PDLs behind the killings.

They also gave their statement in the NBI together with their lawyers from the Public Attorney’s Office.

GMA Integrated News is still trying to get the side of Bantag and Zulueta.

“If there is a crime committed, then the prosecution should ensue, and the proper case should be filed. Ang kailangan diyan, gawin ng NBI ang trabaho nila to file the case. If they find it provable in the court, they should file a case,” Justice secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said. —Richa Noriega/NB, GMA Integrated News