DILG deploys 300 BJMP, PNP officers to BuCor amid revamp

The Department of the Interior and Local Government has deployed around 300 Bureau of Jail Management and Penology and Philippine National Police officers to the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) in Muntinlupa City to aid the reforms being implemented by new BuCor chief Gerald Bantag.

Bantag relieved 300 prison guards assigned at the New Bilibid Prison’s (NBP) maximum security compound last Friday upon President Rodrigo Duterte’s order to revamp the bureau. 

Of the 300 officers deployed, 110 are from the BJMP and 195 are from the PNP, the DILG said Thursday.

“The entire DILG organization fully supports BuCor chief Gerald Bantag in his mission to institute significant reforms in the NBP,”  Interior Secretary Eduardo Año was quoted in a statement as saying.

“Therefore, we are prepared to temporarily assign BJMP and PNP officers until such time that he is confident that his organic personnel can do the job properly and are rid of corrupt practices,” Año added.

On Tuesday, Bantag claimed that corruption and bribery still persist within the Bilibid despite the change in leadership. 

Duterte appointed Bantag as the new BuCor head in September to replace former chief Nicanor Faeldon who was sacked over the controversial near-release of convicted murderer Antonio Sanchez.

A liaison office composed of the PNP, National Bureau of Investigation, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, and Armed Forces of the Philippines was also recently installed in the BuCor to provide intelligence and improve coordination against drug operations and crimes inside the Bilibid.

“We will continue to extend the much-needed help within our capabilities to ensure maximum security while investigations in the bureau are on-going and the regular Corrections Officers are on floating status,” Año said. — RSJ, GMA News