MANILA, Philippines — Director General Gregorio Catapang Jr. of the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) relieved last Aug. 5 two of his officials who are under investigation for alleged illegal activities, according to a bureau statement issued on Monday.
Relieved were Chief Supt. Geraldo Aro as chief of the directorate for administration and as superintendent of the Davao Prison and Penal Farm and Senior Insp. Angelina Bautista as the head executive assistant and as the acting chief of the Office of the Deputy Director General for Operations.
Last Aug. 3, at the inquiry of the House Committee on Public Order and Safety, Santa Rosa City Rep. Dan Fernandez, who chairs the panel, accused Aro of being on the illegal drugs watchlist during the administration of then-President Rodrigo Duterte.
On the other hand, Fernandez accused Bautista of being the owner of a catering service that was awarded a P21-million contract to provide food for the inmates of the Correctional Institution for Women in Mandaluyong City.
Shortly after that revelation, Catapang ordered Al Perreras, his deputy director general for administration, to conduct an investigation of the two officials.
Catapang said that the investigation would give the two senior officials a chance to clear their names.
“I have given Perreras until the end of this month to finish his investigation,” he said.
Replacing Aro as superintendent of the penal farm is his deputy, Chief Supt. Rufino Martin. Chief Supt. Maria Fe Marquez was designated as acting head executive assistant in place of Bautista.