BuCor fires 20 jail personnel, suspends 70 others
The Bureau of Corrections announced on Tuesday that 20 of its personnel have been dismissed from the service while 70 others have been suspended in line with efforts to weed out the agency’s misfits since Director General Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr. assumed office two years ago.
Catapang, who was named acting BuCor chief in October 2022 to replace Gerald Bantag, said this only showed his commitment “to cleaning up the agency of undesirables and to uphold integrity and accountability within Bucor.”
Bantag was suspended after the death of inmate Jun Villamor, who was alleged to be the middleman in the killing of radio broadcaster Percival “Percy Lapid” Mabasa. Catapang was permanently named as the BuCor chief in March 2023.
Bantag, on the other hand, has been hiding since he was tagged as the “brains” behind Mabasa’s murder that same month.
Aside from those dismissed and suspended from the service, 10 others were fined and 19 were reprimanded, Bucor said.
The cases of those disciplined personnel ranged from gross neglect of duty, misconduct and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service, serious dishonesty, grave misconduct, neglect of duty, and insubordination.
“This is a clear message that we will not tolerate any misconduct and inefficiencies in our organization while we will reward with promotion those who will uphold our ethical standard to ensure effective and fair delivery of public services,” Catapang was quoted as saying.
He added that he would not hesitate to take action against those who violate the rules and regulations within the organization.
“This bold stance not only serves to maintain discipline among current employees but also sets a precedent for future hires, emphasizing the importance of upholding the values of Bucor,” he added.
He said that “reforming the organization from within” is important to restore public trust and confidence in the agency. INQ
