Lacson says witness to testify on alleged corruption in BuCor

Sen. Panfilo Lacson. INQUIRER.net file photo / CATHY MIRANDA

MANILA, Philippines — A witness would emerge on Thursday’s Senate probe to attest to the reported corruption within the controversy-ridden Bureau of Corrections (BuCor), Senator Panfilo Lacson said.

The Senate is currently conducting an investigation into the controversial law on the early release of prisoners based on good conduct, which even those convicted of heinous crimes had been included.

The Senate hearing is suspended as of posting time.

“You just wait when we resume. We’re expecting somebody who can attest to corruption that’s happening,” Lacson told reporters in a chance interview.

He was asked regarding the allegations that freedom through the good conduct time allowance (GCTA) is being sold inside the National Bilibid Prison (NBP).

According to Senate President Vicente Sotto III, he earlier received “A1 information” from “prison insiders” showing that inmates serving their sentence in the NBP may have to pay millions to be released.

READ: Sotto cites intel report saying freedom under GCTA may cost millions 

“We have intelligence reports already that I already shared with Senator [Panfilo] Lacson, so in the hearings tomorrow, we will see if we have to uncover them or not,” Sotto told reporters at the Senate on Wednesday.

The Senate hearings were triggered by the aborted release of rape and murder convict former Calauan Mayor Antonio Sanchez.

Sanchez was sentenced to seven life imprisonments for the murder of University of the Philippines-Los Baños students Eileen Sarmenta and Allan Gomez in 1993. /jpv