FILE PHOTO: Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) Director General Gerald Bantag. INQUIRER FILES
MANILA, Philippines — Another torture complaint has been filed against suspended Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) Director General Gerald Bantag.
The complaint was lodged before the Department of Justice (DOJ) on Friday by jail officers at the Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm, which BuCor manages.
Aside from Bantag, former BuCor deputy security officer Supt. Ricardo Zulueta, former BuCor spokesman Gabriel Chaclag, and jail guards Jayferson Bon-As, Victor Pascua, Bayani Allaga, Rose Marie Casion, Joel Arnold, Kanoy Lattot, Ave Akilit, Edgar Angeles Jr., and Michale Marzan were also named as respondents in the complaint.
And apart from a charge of torture, all of them were likewise accused of oral defamation, grave threat, grave coercion, and obstruction of justice by complainants Lazaro Rafols, Jr., Jer Sahid Mojado, Eddie Jimenez, Jr., Richie Canja, and Roy Gacasa – all from the Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm.
Bantag was previously slapped with a torture complaint by two inmates from the New Bilibid Prison.
BuCor acting chief Gregorio Catapang Jr. earlier said that they will also file a plunder complaint against Bantag for allegedly endorsing P300 million in unauthorized advance payments for unfinished prison projects.
READ: Additional complaint lodged vs Bantag, Zulueta over alleged torture of Bilibid inmates