Duterte orders total BuCor revamp due to corruption

MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte ordered Wednesday the total revamp at the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) due to the alleged corruption at the national penitentiary.

“Yes, total revamp at the Bureau of Corrections,” presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo told reporters in Malacañang, referring to the President’s directive.

“What he told me was that the guards there (BuCor) would be transferred to the provinces and the guards in the provinces would be assigned at the BuCor,” he added.

The Senate justice committee has investigated the alleged irregularities in the BuCor, including corruption related to the good conduct time allowance (GCTA) law.

“It’s total revamp. He’ll remove all of them there. Remove all the officials, the employees. That’s why it’s a total revamp,” Panelo said.

Asked about the status of the BuCor employees and officials, he said they would be on “floating” status.

“What is important is they are no longer there,” he said.

Panelo added Duterte ordered a revamp “because of the corruption there. He wants to stop it.”

Duterte, he said, would give Gerald Quitaleg Bantag, the newly appointed Director-General of BuCor, a free hand to choose his men. /je

READ: Duterte names ex-Manila City Jail warden as new BuCor boss