The reduction of workforce at the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) in Muntinlupa City has delayed to submission of the official report on the Jan. 2 New Bilibid Prison (NBP) riot that resulted in the deaths of three persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) and injuries to 14 others.
Justice Secretary Menardo I. Guevarra on Tuesday, Jan. 11, said he was expecting the submission of the report last Friday, Jan. 7.
“Delayed a bit due to workforce reduction at BuCor due to COVID-19. Maybe within the week,” Guevarra said.
In its initial report, BuCor said that “violence started from verbal heckling with adjacent dormitories at the East Quadrant until a gunshot was heard and started exchange of gunshots from improvised firearms.”
BuCor Deputy Director General Gabriel P. Chaclag said that “seven PDLs who were believed to have played major parts in the violence were identified and taken away to an isolation area.”
At the time the initial report was made, Chaclag said that “appropriate disciplinary measures will be applied to them, and a deeper investigation is being done and it is expected more participants in the violence will be identified.”