Senate releases 3 BuCor execs from detention

MANILA, Philippines (Updated) — The Senate freed on Thursday the three officials of the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) detained in the chamber for being evasive in its hearings.

As chairman of the Senate committee on justice, Senator Richard Gordon signed the release order of the three—BuCor legal chief Frederic Anthony Santos; BuCor records division head Ramoncito Roque; and Ursicio Cenas, medical officer at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) hospital. 

They were cited in contempt and subsequently detained last week for being evasive during committee’s investigation on the early release of heinous crime convicts.

“Nagusap kami ni (Senate President Vicente) Sotto just now, sabi ko there’s no need for us to detain these people because meron kaming natanggap na sulat dun sa isa sa kanila,” Gordon told reporters after the hearing of the committee.

He refused to provide more details about the letter, except saying that one has become more forthright.

“Ang nakakainis lang kasi, if you ask them a question, parang hindi nila alam kung ano nangyayari e. They think we’re fools that we don’t know whats going on,” Gordon said.

All three — Santos, Roque, Cenas — had been linked with alleged anomalies inside the BuCor and the NBP. /je

Originally published on Sept 19, 2019 @ 5:02 p.m.