Ex-Pres. Duterte says Bantag ‘weighing his chances’ amid surrender calls

Former Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) chief Gerald Bantag is weighing his chances to get a “fair deal” amid calls for his surrender in light of the arrest warrant issued against him, former President Rodrigo Duterte said.

“I think marunong ‘to si Bantag (I think Bantag is smart),” Duterte said in an interview on SMNI when asked if Bantag already needs to surrender to authorities.

“I think he is just weighing his chances of getting a fair deal, once he finds out that he can be guaranteed to a talagang (really) ironclad of preliminary investigation,” he added.

It was Duterte who appointed Bantag to BuCor in March 2022.

According to Duterte, who was a prosecutor before he became a politician, only 30% of the accused are convicted and 70% are acquitted in the Philippines.

Warrants of arrest have been issued against Bantag and his former deputy officer, Ricardo Zulueta, in connection with the killing of broadcaster Percy Lapid and alleged middleman Jun Villamor.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) is offering a P3 million cash reward to anyone who can provide information on Bantag and Zulueta.

Lapid was shot dead in Las Piñas City on October 3, 2022 while Villamor suspiciously died while incarcerated at the New Bilibid Prison on October 18, 2022, the same day the alleged gunman in the Lapid killing surrendered to authorities. —KBK, GMA Integrated News