President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. is expected the sign soon the appointment of retired Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff General Gregorio Pio P. Catapang Jr. as director general of the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor), Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin C. Remulla said on Monday, Jan. 23.
In an interview at BuCor in Muntinlupa City, Remulla said suspended BuCor Director General Gerald Q. Bantag will no longer head the bureau.
“Bantag will be replaced already as BuCor director. It is within the powers of the President,” Remulla said.
He said Catapang’s appointment was discussed with Executive Secretary Lucas P. Bersamin last Saturday, Jan. 21, following the arrival of the President from Davos, Switzerland.
“It can be a matter of hours,” Remulla told journalists on the signing of Catapang’s appointment.
“Tomorrow (Jan. 24) is a Cabinet meeting, I might get it by tomorrow,” he added.
Bantag has been named in two murder charges for the deaths of radio commentator Percival “Percy Lapid” C. Mabasa and inmate Cristito Villamor Palana who was named by self-confessed gunman Joel S. Escorial as his “middleman” in the slaying of the broadcaster in Las Pinas City on Oct. 3, 2022.
He has also been named in two more criminal charges filed by persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) and prison guards, and an administrative charge for allowing a media interview of a PDL allegedly without following established guidelines.
Due to the criminal complaints, Remulla said the Department of Justice (DOJ) will seek before the courts the issuance of precautionary hold departure orders (PHDO) to prevent Bantag from leaving the country.
“We will do that kasi may pending cases na naman being evaluated by the prosecution and about to be filed in court,” he said.
Bantag was preventively suspended by the President on Oct. 21, 2022 at the height of the probe on the involvement of PDLs in Percy Lapid’s killing. He was preventively suspended anew, this time by Remulla, on the administrative complaint.
Remulla explained why it took time to replace Bantag. He said: “We are not in the business of just replacing people just like that. We have to do everything and we have to wait for the developments to come in for us to be really sure of what we are doing. Basta kailangan natin pag-aralan lahat (We have to study everything).”
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