MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte defended Gerald Bantag’s recent appointment as Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) chief, replacing the sacked Nicanor Faeldon.
Duterte said he did not mind if Bantag has pending criminal charges regarding a deadly explosion at the Parañaque City Jail on 2016.
“He is presumed innocent until proven guilty,” he added. “I think the case is in court. He’s facing homicide charges. I don’t think that he did it. If he did, then baka ma-convict siya.”
“But in the meantime, gusto ko siya kasi nagtatapon ng granada daw,” Duterte said.
“Alam na niya (ang marching order). Siya man ang – siya man ang taga-Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, so alam niya. Marching order is to guard and so that they will not escape. That’s why it’s a penitentiary,” he added.
Department of Justice secretary Menardo Guevarra, meanwhile, said he ordered Bantag to eradicate irregularities at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa City.
“I told him to focus on three major objectives, in the order of urgency: (1) clean up the GCTA (good conduct time allowance) mess; (2) full computerization; and (3) stop the illegal drug trade inside,” Guevarra added.
Bantag, former warden of the Parañaque and Manila City jails, replaced Faeldon who was dismissed by Duterte for “disobeying” the latter’s order to stop the release of more heinous crimes convicts under the controversial GCTA law./PN
