BUREAU of Corrections Director General Gregorio Catapang Jr. yesterday branded fake news reports that they have suspended the visitation privileges for inmates at the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City.
The bureau itself posted the advisory on its official Facebook account, saying that visitation privileges at the NBP’s maximum security compound have been suspended from June 2 to 9.
The post was removed yesterday, with the bureau apologizing for the snafu.
“The entire Bureau of Corrections apologizes and asks for understanding on our previous announcement regarding the temporary suspension of visitation at the NBP-Maximum Security Compound,” the bureau said on its Facebook page
Catapang said one reason why such information has been disseminated without proper fact-checking is that some disgruntled BuCor employees want to personally attack him.
He said some of these employees have been affected by the policies and reforms he implemented in the bureau since he assumed the post last year following the suspension of Gerald Bantag, who was linked to the killing of radio broadcaster Percival “Percy Lapid” Mabasa and Bilibid inmate Cristito Palana Villamor.
Catapang said he removed at least 700 personnel from their positions, the reason why he is being attacked.
To recall, Catapang sacked 700 jail guards securing the NBP’s maximum security compound due to various irregularities.
The sacked jail guards will undergo retraining and refresher courses on BuCor manuals and regulations prior to their reassignment to other prison and penal farms of the agency.
Catapang said the dissemination of the misinformation could have been the result of misinterpretation among some BuCor officials and visitors.
BuCor temporarily suspended visitation privileges at the NBP and the Correctional Institute for Women early last month after several inmates and bureau personnel were infected with the COVID-19 virus.
