MANILA, Philippines – Posible umanong buhay pa ang inmate ng New Bilibid Prison na iniulat na nawawala noon pang Hulyo 15, ayon kay Bureau of Corrections Director General Gregorio Catapang Jr.
Ito ang sinabi ni Catapang sa joint inquiry ng House Committee on Public Order and Safety at House Committee on Justice, kung saan nais ng ina ni Michael Angelo Cataroja na sumuko na ang kanyang anak kay Senador Raffy Tulfo.
Siniguro naman ni Catapang sa panel na hahanapin si Cataroja 24/7.
“I am now submitting an affidavit that will show to you that I am really exhausting all remedies, 24 hours hinahanap namin…There is a development, because right now there is a possibility that PDL Cataroja is still alive. Even his mother is telling us she wants her son to surrender to Raffy Tulfo,” sinabi ng opisyal.
“We are already there in the area, and we are begging the mother… we are assuring her son that if he will come out, we will ask the honorable Senator Raffy Tulfo to be there to really be the one to accept his surrender, if that can be accommodated,” dagdag pa ni Catapang.
Ibinahagi rin ng BuCor chief na ang ikatlong septic tank sa loob ng NBP ay bubuksan na para suriin kung may bangkay pa sa loob nito.
Nauna nang sinabi ng forensic expert mula sa
National Bureau of Investigation na ang butong narekober sa septic tank ng NBP ay “not of human origin” at posibleng “chicken leg bone”.
“Right now we have 8 septic tanks, only three were positively identified by the K9 to have a possible human remains in that area. We have already opened two. The last one will be opened immediately after this hearing,” ani Catapang.
Samantala, narekober naman ng mga awtoridad ang limang armas sa loob ng NBP kabilang ang caliber 45 pistols.
Ito ay kasunod lamang ng nangyaring sigalo sa loob ng Bilibid kung saan isang inmate ang napatay at siyam iba pa ang sugatan.
Nilinaw naman ni Catapang na ang nasawing person deprived of liberty ay hindi nasaksak kundi nabaril.
“There were five firearms that were recovered, and I’d like to say na hindi sinaksak ‘yung namatay. It was a gunshot wound…Ang information we gathered, they were already inside the BuCor before I arrived,” pagbabahagi niya sa panel.
“Last month, inuna ko po ‘yung talagang mga drug lord, at niyayanig ako ngayon. I know they are the ones behind this…’Yung mga nangyayari ngayon, there is really a challenge in my leadership, in as much as they really want to hold me responsible for all the tactical errors that are being committed by my field commanders, so-called,” dagdag ni Catapang.
“They can do the commotion like what happened last week, because they want to put in place the new leadership that they want. Nagtataka nga po ako. Kasi nine months ako nag-takeover, I was able to hold on to it, then when I started transferring them, d’yan na po nagsimula ang gulo-gulo d’yan sa loob. I am really containing the situation and hopefully this situation here in BuCor will not happen again. Medyo kailangan po talaga mag-hands on ako,” pagpapatuloy niya.
“I have inherited a broken system, a broken organization, and it will really take a while to fix this BuCor. But I am not giving up.”
Hinamon naman ni Manila 6th District Representative Bienvenido Abante Jr. si Catapang na magbitiw sa pwesto kung bigong maipatutupad ang mga reporma sa BuCor.
Binalaan niya rin ito na babawasan at gagawing P1 na lamang ang badyet ng BuCor sa susunod na taon.
“Mayroon talagang malalim na korupsyon sa BuCor…Heads must roll…and if you’re not able, Director General, na gawin ang lahat ng mga bagay na ito you are willing to resign from your position?” tanong ni Abante.
“I serve at the pleasure of the people and the President, and the Secretary. I am willing if told to resign from my position. But right now I will not resign, because I have a duty, a task to do. Please give me more time, because sinalo ko lahat ng problemang ito,” sagot ni Catapang.
“Sa hearing na ito, nakikita ko na nagtuturuan kayo dito. Hindi ko alam kung sino dapat ang i-blame dito, you’re blaming each other and then all of you are saying that none of you is corrupt. Kung hindi lang sa mga PDL, magmo-motion akong gawing P1 ang budget Ninyo eh. I am going to look into your report before the budget hearing of BuCor starts, I would like to see that report,” dagdag naman ni Abante.
Ang pagdinig ng Mababang Kapulungan ay nag-ugat sa inihaing resolusyon ni Rep. Erwin Tulfo na busisiin ang isyu ng nawawalang inmate sa maximum security compound ng NBP. RNT/JGC
