Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 6) – Bureau of Corrections Officer-in-Charge Gregorio Catapang has filed another round of criminal complaints against suspended BuCor chief Gerald Bantag and other officials, this time for plunder, malversation, and graft.
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Bantag’s co-accused are Correction Inspector (CINSP) Ric Rocacurba, Correction Technical Superintendent Arnold Guzman, CINSP Solomon Areniego, Correction Technical Officer (CTO) Jor-el De Jesus, CTO Angelo Castillo, and CTO Alexis Catindig.
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Catapang, in his complaint dated Feb. 3, alleged that Bantag and the six others falsified official documents and rigged construction bids to misappropriate ₱273,046,177.33 in BuCor funds last Sept. 2020.
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The group was also slapped with administrative cases of grave misconduct and dishonesty in relation to the criminal complaints.
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Rigged contracts
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The misappropriated funds were reportedly taken from three construction contracts for prison facilities in Davao and Iwahig Prisons and Penal Farms, and in Leyte Regional Prison, estimated at ₱300 million each.
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Bantag formed a BuCor Bidding and Awards Committee (BAC) to award the projects.
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BuCor Legal Counsel Atty. Al Ferreras noted that the creation of the BAC itself was a violation of the Government Procurement Reform Act. Its chairperson and one member, both Bureau of Jail Management and Penology employees, were non-permanent members of the BuCor.
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Rocacurba, who was named BAC Vice Chairperson, allegedly rigged the bidding outcome by declaring two joint ventures as eligible awardees of the three BuCor contracts:
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CB Garay Philwide Builders–Rakki Corporation were awarded Davao and Iwahig prisons; while CB Garay Philwide Builders–Eric Van P. Sesbreño Construction were awarded the Leyte prison.
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The complaint said the joint ventures were ineligible awardees because they could not prove that they had completed a project worth at least 50% of the approved ₱300 million contract budget within the last four years.
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Rocacurba and Guzman allegedly convinced their underling, Areniego – Head of Planning and Design, BuCor Civil Engineering Section – into signing accomplishment reports for all the projects’ progress billings despite not being involved in the site inspections.
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The two swayed Areniego by telling him the order came from Bantag.
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Site inspection findings
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However, the BuCor led site inspections at the three prisons in Nov. 2022 and found that the project accomplishment rates had been falsified:
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For Davao Prison, ₱269,344,014.29 had been released for 95% accomplishment. Upon inspection, only 59% of the site had been completed, or work valued at ₱178,118,928.03.
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For Iwahig, ₱264,344,058.29 was paid for 93% accomplishment. Inspection found only 57.573% completed worth ₱172,987,522.82.
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For Leyte Prison, ₱233,698,092.06 was disbursed for 93% accomplishment. However, only 47.80% had been found completed, or ₱143,233,536.47 in value.
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In total, the discrepancies found in the falsified accomplishment reports totaled ₱273,046,177.33.
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