The Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) warned the public against the purchase of land “offered for sale” within the reservation of the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa City reserved for temporary housing project of active personnel and those in six other prison facilities nationwide.
In a statement, BuCor said the sale and purchase of land within the NBP and those in other facilities that it manages, utilizes, and develops “are prohibited and illegal.”
It said it had to issue the warning after the BuCor Business Center (BBC) received reports that “there are some BuCor, BUCOROA (Bureau of Corrections Correctional Officers Association) members, Biazon Road Homeowners Association, who are allegedly selling portions of this originally government-owned land and are collecting sums of money for the proposed Housing Programs for processing fees from BUCOROA members in violation of the Republic Act 10575 (Bureau of Corrections Act of 2013).”
The NBP had an initial area of 551 hectares but 104 hectares had been transferred to the housing project of the Department of Justice (DOJ) which exercises administrative supervision over BuCor.
“BuCor lands are not for sale,” declared Deputy Director General Gabriel P. Chaclag on Wednesday, Feb. 9.
“Our existing housing program is for our active employees and not open to the public,” he stressed.
Under the BuCor’s housing program, Chaclag explained that temporary housing is provided to BuCor personnel who are in active service.
“No sale is involved,” Chaclag said about the houses being provided under the housing program.
In a statement, BuCor said that “the BBC Office acted upon these alarming incidents immediately and have summoned the alleged persons concerned to shed light and for truth on the information obtained by the office.”
The BuCor said BBC Director, lawyer Randy G. Serrano, led the meeting and even presented survey maps and processing documents for the housing program.
During the meeting, the BuCor said those summoned “submitted their individual written statements” and “promised to abide with the BuCor guidelines and regulations.”
It pointed out that BuCor Director General Gerald Q. Bantag has already issued a cease and desist order against one of the corrections officers present during the meeting “to refrain the selling of lots in the proposed Housing Program.”