Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 20) — Officers of the Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm in Palawan have filed complaints of torture and obstruction of justice against suspended Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) Director General Gerald Bantag and other officials in his circle.
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Accused of slander, grave threats, grave coercion, torture, and obstruction of justice were Bantag, former BuCor spokesperson Gabriel Chaclag, former Deputy Security Officer Ricardo Zulueta, Victor Pascua, Bayani Allaga, Rose Casion, Jayferson Bon-As, Joel Arnold, Kanoy Lattot, Ave Akilit, Edgar Angeles Jr., and Michale Marzan.
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According to the complainants’ legal counsel, Atty. Mauricio Ulep, the Iwahig prison guards were alleged to have blown the cover of a BuCor asset in an anti-drug operation, though they denied this claim.
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On Mar. 1, 2020, the Iwahig guards physically clashed with the men of Bon-As over that claim. A day after the encounter, on Mar. 2, 2020, they were transferred to the New Bilibid Prison (NBP).
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At the NBP, Bantag himself allegedly beat the men in his office in front of all the other respondents. The respondents reportedly did not intervene.
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Ulep said that the Ihawig guards were kept on duty in the NBP for a month before being returned to Palawan.
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Ihawig guards Richie Canja, Lazaro Rafols Jr., Jer Mojado, Eddie Jimenez Jr., Roy Gacasa, and Asher Labrador filed the complaint against Bantag and his men on Friday, Jan. 20, 2023, nearly three years after the incident
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Canja reportedly received the worst of the beatings, sustaining a black eye and several bruises on the body. Ulep said he was the center of Bantag’s rage as it was allegedly he who exposed the BuCor asset’s cover.
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“Yung iba, nadamay lang dahil kaibigan ni Canja (The others were affected because they were friends with Canja),” Ulep said.
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Canja said in an interview that he and the other complainants sustained the abuse from Bantag and his circle because they had nowhere else to turn to.
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“Iniisip namin kapag nagpakita kami sa kanila ng kahit konting resist, baka ipapatay kami. Wala kaming malapitan,” Canja bared.
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[Translation: We were thinking that if we resisted in any way, they would have us killed. We had no one to turn to]
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“Sa side po namin wala naman akong natandaan nakialam kami sa operation nila kasi mga ordinaryo kawani lang kami ng BuCor,” Canja added.
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[Translation: On our part, we don’t remember interfering in any of their operations because we are just ordinary workers of the BuCor.]
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Reason for the delay
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Ulep, in an interview with reporters, clarified that although the incident took place in 2020, the complainants did not come forward earlier out of fear.
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Bantag allegedly knew their home addresses and threatened their families.
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“Ayon sa complaint, sabi daw ni Bantag ‘kung gusto niyo, dadalhin ko yung mga asawa niyo rito babarurutin ko sa harap ninyo,'” Ulep said.
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[Translation: According to the complaint, Bantag said ‘if you want, I can have your wives brought here and raped in front of you.]
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“Natakot sila kasi nandoon pa rin si Director Bantag (They were scared because Bantag was still there) and there was a continuing threat against them,” he added.
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Ulep also shed some light on the medical certificate of the injuries sustained by the complainants, which was dated December 2022.
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“Natakot sila pero ang record sa hospital, nangyari sa March 2020 pero na-issue lang after umalis si Bantag,” he said.
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[Translation: They were scared but the hospital record said, it happened in 2020 but it was issued after Bantag left.]
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Bantag was first suspended from the BuCor in Oct. last year for his alleged involvement in the killing of veteran broadcaster Percy Lapid.
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He was again suspended for another 90 days on Jan. 19, this time for misconduct and negligence stemming from an inmate interview by the Sonshine Media Network International (SMNI) which he greenlit.
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READ:
Marcos orders preventive suspension of BuCor chief amid probe on Percy Lapid slay
Bantag suspended for another 90 days – DOJ
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Meanwhile, Bantag and Zulueta are also being investigated by state prosecutors for their suspected involvement in the killing of Lapid and alleged middleman named Crisanto Jun Villamor.
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