More criminal complaints will be filed against suspended Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) Director General Gerald Q. Bantag.
BuCor Acting Director General Gregorio Pio P. Catapang Jr. said the new complaints will be filed by BuCor personnel who claimed they were “hurt and maltreated” by Bantag.
Already, Bantag has been charged with two murder cases, and torture and physical injuries complaints before the Department of Justice (DOJ).
The murder charges are for the deaths of radio commentator Percival “Percy Lapid” C. Mabasa and inmate Cristito Villamor Palana, alleged middleman of self-confessed gunman Joel S. Escorial in the killing of the broadcaster.
The torture and physical injuries complaints were filed by persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) Ronald Usman and Jonathan Escopete who were allegedly attacked by Bantag at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa City.
“Both complainants suffered serious physical injuries which required medical attention for one to two months for Usman and three to four weeks for Escopete,” the complaints stated.
Catapang said the BuCor personnel are expected to file their complaints on Friday, Jan. 20.
He said the complainants have been reassigned to the Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm in Palawan. A lawyer has been sent to Palawan to secure the affidavits of the BuCor personnel who are all corrections officers, he also said.
Meanwhile, Catapang said that BuCor continues to gather evidence against Bantag for plunder in the P900 million project for the construction of three prison facilities.
He said witnesses have surfaced and expressed their willingness to testify against Bantag.
“They are about to make the statement. They were just forced to change the details to say that there was already 95 percent completion. But up to now the project is not yet finished,” he said.
Also, Catapang said the contractors of the project will testify.
“They (contractors) are willing to submit themselves to an investigation and pay damages for not being able to complete the project even if they were saying that it was already 95 percent,” he also said.
But, he said, the contractors could be held liable and face criminal complaints.
He pointed out that BuCor officials who inspected the project reported that “not more than 60 percent ang natapos sa (has been completed in the) project.”
“So, it was really doctored by the people in the BuCor headquarters,” he said.
He said he has asked the DOJ for more documents to buttress the case for plunder against Bantag.