Suspended Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) Director General Gerald Q. Bantag said on Tuesday, Oct. 25, that he is willing to submit himself to a lifestyle check.
“Walang problema ‘yun (I have no problem with it), Bantag said during an interview over radio DZRH.
Bantag has allegedly enriched himself during his time as BuCor chief and, because of this, became the criticism of slain radio commentator Percival C. Mabasa, better known as Percy Lapid, in his radio program.
“Nakakatawa dahil hindi naman totoo (This is funny because this is not true),” Bantag said on the allegations.
Bantag refuted allegations that he owns a mansion in an exclusive subdivision as well as multiple vehicles.
“Hindi naman exclusive ito. Maliit ang tinitirahan naminng bahay (I do not live in an exclusive subdivision. My house is small),” he said.
He pointed out that the vehicles shown in the videos of Mabasa’s program included government-owned vehicles and vehicles of his neighbors.
At the same time, Bantag said he has no problem being removed from office.
He said after the assumption of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. into office, Bantag said he offered to submit his courtesy resignation to Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Jesus Crispin C. Remulla.
“Sabi niya hindi na, okay na yan, diyan ka na, sabi niya (Remulla did not accept my courtesy resignation and told me to stay),” he recounted.
Bantag has been placed under preventive suspension with the death last Oct. 18 of New Bilibid Prison (NBP) inmate Jun Globa Villamor, the alleged middleman in the hiring of the killers of Percy Lapid.
“Sana sinabi nila na palitan na ako, hindi na umabot sa ganito (I wish they just removed me from the start so that it did not have to reach this far),” he said.
He lamented that his fellow officials and personnel of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) he brought to BuCor were also removed from their posts, disarmed, and their security withdrawn despite threats to their lives.
“Kahapon, Monday, low moral yung team galing BJMP dahil outright pinagtatanggal na (The BJMP have shown low moral since Monday because they got removed),” he said.
He noted that only two officials from the BJMP remain at BuCor including Deputy Director General Gabriel P. Chaclag who has been removed as BuCor spokesperson.
He lamented that BuCor Officer-in-Charge and retired Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff Gen. Gregorio Catapang Jr. reinstated BuCor officials whom he placed under floating status due to anomalies.
He expressed belief that drug lords at the Bilibid had something to do with his removal because of the actions he did against them.
“Sabi ko nga nung una 100 million pesos willing sila ipasalubong sa akin para lang maging friendly ako sa kanila. Yun ay alam naman ng publiko na outright na tinurn down ko yun (It can be recalled I was offered P100 million to be friendly to them. The public knows I turned that down),” he said.
He also believes that his removal may have something to do with the bidding over the contracts to supply food for BuCor inmates.
TAGS: #DOJ #Bucor #Bantag