Former Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) Chief Gerald Bantag has reportedly expressed his intention to surrender, according to Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla.
He revealed that Bantag had spoken to one of his colleagues in the Cabinet, who then informed him about Bantag's desire to surrender.
"He [Bantag] spoke to my colleague, one of my colleagues in the Cabinet, to say that he may wish to surrender….I was just told by a colleague that he received a call from him asking if surrender was possible and of course, I said yes," Remulla told the media.
Remulla did not disclose the identity of his colleague, stating that he would keep it confidential. He also mentioned that Bantag had contacted his colleague about five or six days ago.
Bantag is currently facing warrants of arrest issued by two courts, along with other former BuCor officials, for their alleged involvement in the murders of veteran broadcaster Percival "Percy Lapid" Mabasa and New Bilibid Prison inmate Jun Villamor, who was believed to be a middleman in the killing of the radio anchor.
However, Remulla stated that law enforcement would still need to carry out the process of enforcing the arrest warrant, despite Bantag's offer to surrender.
Remulla further clarified that Ricardo Zulueta, Bantag's associate and co-respondent in the arrest warrants, was not mentioned in Bantag's offer to surrender.
The justice secretary also confirmed that Bantag is currently in the country and that the Department of Justice has the means to locate him if necessary.
Meanwhile, Remulla stated that he was not aware of the reasons behind Bantag's decision to offer to surrender.
