Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 12) — Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) chief Gregorio Catapang Jr. has ordered the removal of some 700 guards at the New Bilibid Prison’s (NBP) maximum compound, saying he is not seeing any improvement in how the facility is being handled.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Catapang said a number of these personnel were found to have committed work violations, including having someone else sign their attendance despite not reporting for duty.
The relieved prison guards will undergo retraining for around a month and will later be sent to other penal farms, he added.
About 300 personnel will replace them in the NBP, the BuCor chief said. He noted that the number is enough, considering technology can help in the monitoring of inmates.
“Kung kita mo sila, ‘yung trabaho ng isang tao o sampung tao kayang gawin ng isang camera eh,” Catapang said. “Ang trabaho lang niya bantayan ‘yung isang compound, eh sampu sila.”
[Translation: The work of up to 10 guards can be done by just one camera. The only task is to guard the compound, and there are 10 people doing it.]
He added that administrative cases will be filed against some of these personnel.
\”Pero hindi naman napakarami. ‘Yun lang may ebidensya kami [But not many people will face cases. Only those we have evidence against],\” he noted.
Meanwhile, Catapang said he has also banned pockets in the uniforms of all guards in a bid to prevent corruption.
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