Suspended Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) Director Gerardo Bantag was tagged as among the 160 persons of interest in the killing of broadcast journalist Percival Mabasa.

Police General Rodolfo Azurin, Jr., chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), said the 160 personalities were among those criticized by Mabasa in his program and were collated based on the 600 videos uploaded on social media since 2021.

"On the part of the PNP, all of the 160 personalities mentioned in the issues discussed by Percy Lapid are considered persons of interest," said Azurin.

"We are now doing a tally as to who among these 160 personalities were criticized often. But it does not mean that those who were mostly criticized are the main suspects," he added.

He said the personalities include ranking government officials and police and military officials. 

Azurin confirmed that Bantag was among those criticized by Mabasa, especially on the issue of the series of deaths of inmates.

Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remnulla suspended Bantag over the death of Crisanto Villamor, a New Bilibid Prisons inmate tagged by confessed triggerman Joel Escorial as the middleman in the killing of Mabasa.

NBP is under the supervision and management of the Bureau of Corrections. 

"But we have to really establish the motive that led to the killing of Percy Lapid," said Azurin.

He said they were doing it through the statements of Escorial and other personalities who knew about the planning and execution of the assassination of Mabasa.