BuCor officials slammed for murder of 16 of its staff

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Richard Gordon on Wednesday said the seeming lack of enthusiasm and interest of law enforcement agencies to solve the murder of 16 personnel of the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) since 2011 have perpetuated the violence committed against prison officials.

“Why do you allow your people to be killed? You’re making the government seem so puny, so little and so vulnerable to people who can kill,” Gordon told police and BuCor officials during the hearing of the Senate justice and human rights committee.

“If [BuCor] officials are being killed by convicts, you lose your authority over them. We must not close the books. I just cannot believe that you’re letting this happen,” he said.

Slow response

The senator also took to task the Philippine National Police and the National Bureau of Investigation for what he described as their slow response in unmasking those behind the killing of former BuCor legal division chief Fredric Anthony Santos.

Santos, who had testified during the Senate investigation into the allegedly irregular release of heinous crime convicts, was shot dead just outside the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa City on Feb. 19.

“Wouldn’t it be a strong message if you solve the [killing] of Santos? I’m sorry, but I don’t see the enthusiasm,” Gordon said. “I cannot accept that. Sixteen people of the BuCor had been killed. This is shameful.”

Gordon also pointed out that his own father, the late Olongapo City Mayor James Gordon, was gunned down by a convict who was let out of prison to carry out the assassination.

BuCor Deputy Director Milfredo Melegrito said the bureau was doing its best to help the PNP in resolving the murders of corrections personnel.

In the same hearing, Sen. Panfilo Lacson, a former police chief, directed the PNP Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management to submit reports of all cases involving NBP prisoners who allegedly stepped out of the state penitentiary to commit crimes.

“We have to determine how bad this problem has become and how [convicts] have been used to commit crimes outside the [NBP] and then used the [NBP] as their sanctuary after,” Lacson said.

Gordon also expressed disappointment over the failure of BuCor Director General Gerald Bantag to appear at the hearing.

“I don’t take too kindly the fact that [Bantag] is not here. This is a Senate hearing. When we call somebody, they come here. Otherwise, we will hold them in contempt,” he warned.