Duterte orders total revamp in BuCor – Palace
Credit to Author: The Manila Times| Date: Wed, 18 Sep 2019 11:39:12 +0000
PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has ordered a “top-to-bottom” revamp in the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor), which has been under fire following the reported release of controversial convicts, Malacañang announced on Wednesday.
Speaking to reporters, Palace spokesman Salvador Panelo said the President wanted to remove all BuCor officials and employees involved in corruption in the agency.
“Gagawa siya ng directive doon, pagdating doon (He will issue a directive there, when it comes [to theBuCor]). Basta (It’s a) total revamp. He will remove all of them there. Remove yung mga opisyales, mga empleyado. (He will remove those officials and employees),” Panelo said during a media interview.
“Total revamp nga (So it’s a total revamp)… Because of corruption there. He wants to stop it,” he added.
Duterte’s order came a day after the Palace announced the appointment of new BuCor chief Gerald Bantag.
Bantag, a former jail warden, replaced former BuCor chief Nicanor Faeldon, who was fired by Duterte on September 4 following the implementation of the Good Conduct Time Allowance Act (GCTA), a 2013 law that allows the early release of inmates on the basis of good behavior.
Panelo said the total revamp would give Bantag a free hand in selecting the people whom he believed could help him in running the agency.
“Most likely he will be given a free hand since he was designated as the new director general,” he said, of Bantag.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, the President expressed confidence that Bantag “knows what to do” as the new BuCor chief.
” Well, he’s professional,” Duterte said. “[My] marching order [to him] is to guard [inmates] so they will not escape.”
The President also expressed optimism that Bantag would stop the irregularities within the BuCor.
“You know, it’s his (Bantag) business. Yung lahat na nangyari, huwag mong gawin (Do not repeat all that happened in the past). All the things you have observed along the way, all the things that are being obnoxious or repugnant to the Republic, huwag mong gawin (do not do it),” he said. CATHERINE S. VALENTE