BuCor hires 530 new correction officers

A total of 533 newly-hired Correction Officers 1 took their oath on Thursday morning, according to the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor).

BuCor said 289 will be assigned to the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) while 119 will be assigned to the Davao Prison and Penal Farm.

The oathtaking ceremony was led by BuCor officer-in-charge Gregorio Catapang Jr.

“This is not a walk-in-the-park training. We will ensure na importante ‘yung virtues… And then hopefully, bago kayo mag graduate, pa-injectionan namin kayo ng anti-corruption vaccine,” Catapang said.

(This is not a walk-in-the-park training. We will ensure that virtues will be prioritized. And then hopefully, before you graduate, we will inject you with an anti-corruption vaccine.)

Catapang said many unexpected events have occurred in BuCor.

Over the past months, BuCor has been riddled with controversies that arose following the death of Jun Villamor, the alleged inmate who acted as the middleman in the ploy to kill broadcaster Percy Lapid.

Lapid was shot dead in Las Piñas City on October 3 while Villamor died at the New Bilibid Prison.

An autopsy by forensic pathologist Dr. Raquel Fortun showed that the remains of Villamor bore a “history of asphyxia by plastic bag suffocation.”

Later, an unauthorized excavation site was discovered inside the national penitentiary. Suspended BuCor chief Gerald Bantag claimed the site was for a diving pool. However, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said Bantag told him he was digging for Yamashita treasure. —Joahna Lei Casilao/KBK, GMA Integrated News