Percy Lapid slay: Bantag’s plea to dismiss murder raps junked

MANILA, Philippines — The Court of Appeals (CA) has dismissed the petition of former Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) chief Gerald Bantag to set aside the murder charges filed against him over the killing of radio broadcaster Percy Lapid in October 2022.

In a four-page ruling promulgated on June 19, the CA’s Second Division affirmed the Las Piñas Regional Trial Court (RTC)’s order, which denied Bantag’s motion to quash the charges and the warrant issued for his arrest.

Bantag has challenged the RTC’s decision, arguing that the Department of Justice, which filed the murder charges against him, did not have the authority to do so.

Bantag said the the Sandiganbayan has jurisdiction over the case since he was the BuCor chief when the alleged crime was committed.

The CA said Bantag’s petition did not follow the procedural rules on the filing of a petition for certiorari as he failed to secure the conformity of the Office of the Solicitor General.

Bantag is facing another murder complaint before a Muntinlupa court for the murder of New Bilibid Prison inmate Cristito Villamor Palana, the alleged middleman in the Lapid assassination.

Both the Las Piñas and Muntinlupa courts have issued arrest orders against Bantag.