DIRECTOR General Gregorio Pio P. Catapang Jr. of the Bureau of Corrections has ordered the relief of two senior officers from the Correctional Institution for Women (CIW) to pave the way for an investigation into the P6 million missing trust fund of persons of deprived of liberty (PDLs).
Relieved were Corrections Senior Supt. Daisy Sevilla-Castillote, CIW, superintendent and her deputy. C/Ssupt. Marites Lebardo.
Catapang directed the two officers to report to the Office of the Deputy Director General for Administration (DDGA) at the National Headquarters in Muntinlupa City.
He also sought the assistance of Muntinlupa Police Station in tracking down Corrections Officer 2 Bianca Ramos, who handles the PDLs’ trust fund.
Ramos has been absent without leave (Awol) since July 29.
Corrections Technical Senior Insp. Lariza Martin, the chief of the Reception and Diagnostic Center, has been designated as the acting superintendent of CIW.
Catapang has also directed BuCor’s Chief of the Internal Audit Service Unit Edgardo Virtudazo to conduct an internal audit concerning the alleged mishandling of trust funds.
The audit will include gathering and verifying all relevant details, existing information, and reports related to the issue.
Catapang also directed the Directorate for Intelligence and Investigation chief, lawyer Ferdinand V. Balduman, to conduct a parallel investigation to determine the extent of culpability among both former and current CIW officers.
‘If it were true that there are missing funds amounting to about P6 million, this did not happen overnight. We need to get to the bottom of this and hold those accountable in their proper place,’ said Catapang.
Catapang also expressed disappointment over the alleged involvement of BuCor personnel over the alleged anomaly.
‘It pains me that while we are striving to reform the Bureau of Corrections, our own men would be involved in this kind of anomaly. That is why I want this to be thoroughly investigated so that we can determine who should be held liable,’ Catapang said.