BuCor exec pins two colleagues: ‘I was also a victim’
MANILA, Philippines — An official of the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) turned against his colleagues tagged in the alleged “GCTA for sale scheme” at the national penitentiary.
GCTA means to good conduct time allowance, which allows inmates to secure early freedom due to good behavior.
“Ako po, naging nabiktima rin po ako ng mga kapwa ko kasamahan. ‘Yun po ang masakit,” Ramoncito Roque, head of BuCor’s documentation and record section, told the Senate committee on justice Thursday.
“Ilang taon ko po silang kasama sa serbisyo. Si Mabel… hindi ko alam kung bakit ganito pa ang ginawa nila sa akin. Pati si Buño,” he said.
Roque was talking about Corrections Senior Insp. Mabel Bansil and Corrections Officer 3 Veronica “Boday” Buño.
Yolanda Camilon, wife of an inmate, earlier accused Roque of allegedly receiving P50,000 in exchange for her husband’s freedom.
Accompanied by Bansil, Camilon said she personally handed the initial amount of P10,000 to Roque at the latter’s house. The P40,000 balance was supposedly coursed through Bansil in installments.
But Roque has repeatedly denied his involvement.
In fact, he said, he even went to Bansil’s office to ask about the money he supposedly received from the couple.
“Kuya, kami po ni Boday ang kumuha n’yan,” Roque said, quoting Bansil. “Tapos umalis na po ako.”
“Noong araw din pong ‘yun, palabas ako ng opisina, naka-motor po silang dalawa (Bansil and Buño), sinabihan po ako ni Boday: ‘Sir nahihiya po ako sa inyo. Kami po talaga ang may kagagawan n’yang ano na ‘yan ng paghingi dito sa dalawang ito’.”
Roque said he would just leave it up to the Senate whether to believe his testimony or not.
Camilon, however, insisted that Bansil showed her a text message, which convinced her that Roque had received the money.
“According to Ma’am Mabel, text daw po ni Sir Chito sa kanya ‘yun kaya po nakumbinsi na kami na nakarating kay Sir Chito ‘yung pera,” she said.
Roque said he was willing to submit to the committee his cellphone just to prove himself.
Despite this, the committee cited Roque, and two others – BuCor’s legal chief Frederic Anthony Santos and New Bilibid Prison hospital medical officer Ursicio Cenas, in contempt.
READ: Senate panel cites 3 BuCor officials in contempt
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