BUREAU of Corrections (BuCor) Acting Director Gregorio Catapang Jr. has said that the newly-hired corrections officers will be trained extensively in values formation to prevent them from “drifting towards corruption.”

“Sisiguraduhin ko na maganda yung values i-ingrain sa kanila. Of course, yung physical training, attentiveness, yung kanilang agility, yung 11 general orders of a guard. Importante memorized nila yun. But more importantly is the values that we have to inculcate na hindi sila puwede ma-corrupt,” Catapang said.

Catapang has recently administered the oath to 533 new corrections officers at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) compound in Muntinlupa City.

Of the 533 new correction officers, 313 are criminologists, 131 are licensed teachers, several nurses, social workers, and psychometricians, among others, according to BuCor data.

Likewise, there were 329 female and 204 male new corrections officers.

A total of 289 will be deployed to the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa City; 119 to the Davao Prison and Penal Farm (DPPF) in Davao del Norte; 26 to the Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm (IPPF) in Palawan; 22 to the Leyte Regional Prison (LRP) in Abuyog, Leyte; 35 to the Sablayan Prison and Penal Farm (SPPF) in Occidental Mindoro; and 42 to the San Ramon Prison and Penal Farm (SRPPF) in Zamboanga City.

BuCor’s 551-hectare NBP hogged headlines for the nth time following the death of broadcaster Percy Lapid last October 3.

Self-confessed gunman Joel Escorial upon his surrender, claimed that the order to assassinate Lapid came inside the walls of the NBP.

Also, middleman Jun Villamor, who supposedly relayed the kill order to Escorial, mysteriously died in NBP.

AUTHOR PROFILE

Hector Lawas