Bantag still in Cordillera region, SILG Remulla says

Former Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) chief Gerald Bantag is still in Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla said as authorities continue to search for him.

In April 2023, a Muntinlupa court ordered the arrest of Bantag in connection with the death of Jun Villamor, the alleged middleman in the killing of broadcaster Percy Lapid in October 2022.

“Ang latest info namin ay nasa Cordillera region. So, nandoon ang tracker teams namin ngayon,” Remulla said in a press conference on Thursday.

(Our latest info is he is in the Cordillera region. So, our tracker teams are there now.)

“Pero dapat maintindihan niyo mahirap ang Cordillera region. Bundok yan. Bago mo mapasok yan, may cover of trees so hindi natin puwede lagyan ng drone. Wala kang makikita,” he added.

(But you have to understand that the Cordillera region is a difficult area to search. It’s mountainous. Before you enter it, there’s a cover of trees, so we can’t deploy a drone. You won’t see anything.)

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Remulla said authorities are looking at other ways to check the possible locations of Bantag.

“Kailangan live ang asset natin. Kaya yung mga tribo doon ay nagproprotektahan. So, we are now trying other means para makapasok,” he added.

(Our assets need to be live. The tribes there are protecting each other. So we are now trying other means to get in.)

The Department of Justice (DOJ) previously said a cash reward of P2 million would be given for information on the whereabouts of Bantag.

In January 2025, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said it had received information on possible sightings of Bantag.

Bantag has denied the allegations against him. —VAL, GMA Integrated News