The murder and severe misconduct accusations filed by suspended Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) Director Gerald Bantag against Department of Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla and BuCor Director Gen. Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr. were dismissed by the Office of the Ombudsman on Friday.
The Ombudsman claims that “the lack of probable cause” was the reason why the allegations against Remulla and Catapang were dismissed.
Bantag lodged allegations against Remulla and Capatang in January 2023.
Bantag charged Remulla with orchestrating the October 2013 murders of the late broadcaster Percy Lapid and prisoner Jun Villamor, who served as Lapid’s go-between.
Remulla refuted each and every charge.
In his case, he also named Catapang as a party, claiming that the BuCor head approved the movement of prisoners from New Bilibid Prison to the National Bureau of Investigation.
In addition to being charged with murder in relation to Lapid and Villamor’s killings, Bantag is still at large.
Political manoeuvre
Declaring that the Ombudsman’s firing was a “political maneuver” meant to deflect attention away from “the serious charges” against Bantag, the DOJ applauded the decision.
“The unfounded accusations against our esteemed officials were merely a ploy to overshadow the murder charges Bantag is currently facing,” the Department of Justice stated in a statement.
“Distraction or slander techniques cannot control or alter the course of justice. The statement said, “It is a process that values the truth above all else and guards against any attempts to compromise its objectivity and integrity.
