Zulueta flight indicative of guilt: Remulla
Nothing yet. He is just there. If he doesn’t want to go out. If he doesn’t want to face the case, he has a problem
Daily TribuneNothing yet. He is just there. If he doesn’t want to go out. If he doesn’t want to face the case, he has a problem
Bureau of Corrections deputy security officer Ricardo Zulueta, one of the principal suspects in the murder of broadcaster Percy Lapid, has yet to surface.
"Flight is indicative of guilt," Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said on Monday.
When asked for the whereabouts of Zulueta, the justice chief said:
"Nothing yet. He is just there. If he doesn't want to go out. If he doesn't want to face the case, he has a problem."
Zulueta went into hiding after the Philippine National Police and the National Bureau of Investigation filed double murder charges against suspended BuCor chief Gen. Gerald Bantag, Zulueta, and several inmates in connection with the deaths of Lapid and alleged middleman Cristito Villamor.
Denver Mayores, an inmate at Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm in Palawan, executed a sworn statement saying that Zulueta asked him to find a person who could kill Lapid whose real name is Percy Mabasa.
Zulueta allegedly ordered an inmate in Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm in Palawan to carry out the kill order from Bantag, down to self-confessed gunman Joel Escorial.
The inmate was Denver Mayores, who was brought to the New Bilibid Prison from the penal colony in Palawan and pointed to Zulueta as the person who delegated the order to kill broadcaster Percival Lapid.
Mayores said in a sworn statement that Zulueta asked him to find a person who could kill Mabasa.
The NBP prisoners facing murder complaints were identified as Mario Alvarez, Joseph Georfo, Christam Ramac, Ricky Salgado, Ronnie Dela Cruz and Joel Reyes.
Also, Zulueta was Bantag's co-accused in the deadly Parañaque City Jail grenade explosion in 2016 where 10 inmates died.
They were both acquitted along with another prison officer due to insufficiency of evidence.