WORK GOES ON. Department of Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla (left) leads the ceremony for the release of 357 persons deprived of liberty from the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City on Oct. 26, 2022. Of the total, 122 are on parole and 235 have served out their sentences. (Courtesy of Boying Remulla Facebook)
MANILA – Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said Friday said he will not engage in name-calling with suspended Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) Director General Gerald Bantag.
He also said Bantag’s statements against him were uncalled for after the latter complained he was being eased out of office by implicating him in the October slay of radio commentator Percival "Percy Lapid" Mabasa.
“Name-calling is becoming the name of the game. I do not engage in that. At our level here, we do not do that. I think media should not even give the time of day to people to do name-calling. Let’s elevate the profession to a higher level. Walang ganunan (Lets not do that),” Remulla told reporters, a day after arriving from Geneva, Switzerland where he represented the country in the United Nations review of the human rights situation in the Philippines.
He dared Bantag to prove “bare allegations” that he is being persecuted and that the interests of drug lords and suspects under the Witness Protection Program are being prioritized, thus his suspension and inclusion in the cases of Mabasa and inmate Jun Villamor.
Villamor, who died at the New Bilibd Prison Hospital also in October, was the alleged middleman in the murder contract, according to self-confessed gunman Joel Escorial.
Remulla said they have also spoken to German Agojo, the convicted drug lord whom Bantag named as one of those behind the killing of Mabasa but he did not cooperate.
"He hasn’t shown any cooperation or knowledge,” Remulla said.
He is confident the investigators will eventually find out if Agojo was indeed involved in the plot.
Agojo is supposedly entwined in the Mabasa slay plot through brothers Edmond and Israel Dimaculangan, who were also included by Escorial in the "kill team".
The siblings remain at large.
Remulla said he has yet to discuss with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. the fate of Bantag, who has been charged with murder.
“When I get the chance. It is not very urgent to me right now because he is still under preventive suspension so that automatically is a hold departure order because you cannot travel when you are (an employee) of government,” he said.
In an earlier interview with a radio station, Remulla said Bantag should have been more circumspect in making public accusations.
“Yung name-calling na ginagawa sa akin, alam ninyo naman na pareho kaming civil servants. Ako ‘yung superior niya (He is engaged in name-calling. We are both civil servants. I am his superior). I don’t think he needs to be reminded. Siguro alam naman niya ‘yung code of ethics ng mga naglilingkod sa gobyerno ( He should know there is a code of ethics for those in service). Maybe he needs to be reminded of that. Uncalled for 'yung mga ganoong mga salita (Those are uncalled for),” Remulla said.
No one received Bantag’s subpoena to appear in a preliminary investigation when it was served to his registered address in Caloocan City on Tuesday.
His lawyers claimed he is staying in Baguio City.
Bantag previously said he would not surrender unless Remulla steps down, saying the DOJ chief has lost his credibility after the arrest of his son, Juanito III, for possession of high-grade marijuana. (PNA)
