BUREAU of Corrections (BuCor) Director General Gregorio Catapang Jr. yesterday sacked the acting chief of the Davao Prison and Penal Farm (DPPF) following the escape and rearrest of an inmate last September 13.
What made the matter worse for C/Supt. Rufino Martin was his belated report to Catapang on the escape and rearrest of Jundee Cano from the DPPF minimum security compound.
Catapang said he got the report on the incident “only today (Tuesday) at around 1 p.m.”
“Cano was rearrested on September 17, but the report was only forwarded to the BuCor main office also today (Tuesday),” Catapang said, adding that his office is “still awaiting for the final report on the incident.”
The BuCor chief said such an incident should have been reported to his office immediately.
“If there are any untoward incidents in various colonies, I don’t want to be the last to know, so this will serve as a warning to all BuCor officials,” Catapang said, stressing that he will not tolerate any delays or withholding of important information by his subordinates.
He said the report provided to his office said that the inmate was rearrested by BuCor personnel and police operatives of the Damulog, Bukidnon Municipal Police Station.
Early this month, the BuCor Board of Inquiry recommended the filing of administrative cases against some officials and prison guards for gross neglect of duty following the escape from the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) of inmate Michael Cataroja.
Cataroja went missing on July 15. He was recaptured in Rizal province more than a month later. He said he escaped the NBP by hiding under the garbage truck that goes to the prison facility daily.
