Palace condemns killing of BuCor legal chief, says case could be ‘personal’

MANILA, Philippines — While it condemns the killing of a suspended Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) legal chief, Malacañang said the case has nothing to do with the government’s campaign against corruption since it may have stemmed from “personal” conflict.

BuCor legal chief Frederic Santos, a witness in the Senate hearings on the Good Conduct Time Allowance (GCTA) controversy or “freedom for sale” scheme, was gunned down while aboard a vehicle in Muntinlupa City.

“We condemn any act of violence, palagi kaming ganyan. As a matter of policy, we condemn any transgressions of the law, any violation inflicted on any person, any murder, we condemn that,” Palace spokesman Salvador Panelo said Wednesday in an ambush interview.

“It has nothing to do with the campaign against corruption. Because we don’t know exactly whether or not this is a personal case being, might be retaliation from some personal wrongdoing that he has committed,” Panelo added.

Panelo added that Malacañang would investigate Santos’ murder and hopes that justice will be served.

Santos was among the BuCor officials suspended by the Ombudsman back in September 2019 as a probe on the GCTA mess continues.

Santos, during the Senate probe on GCTA, disclosed that prison guards would opt for settlement to cover up the use of mobile phones or drinking alcohol inside the penitentiary.