MANILA – Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) Director General Gregorio Catapang urged prison and penal farm personnel nationwide to uphold professionalism and sense of accountability as he kicked off the bureau’s 121st founding anniversary on Monday.
“Ayusin ninyo ang trabaho ninyo. Ayoko namang gayahin pa ang Pangulo at sabihing, ‘Mahiya naman kayo,’ (Get your work in order. I’d rather not imitate the President’s lead and say, ‘Have some shame’),” Catapang said during simple ceremonies at the New Bilibid Prison Compound in Muntinlupa City.
Catapang promised to sustain reforms he implemented when he assumed office in October 2022.
“We have come a long way, but there is still a long way to go to meet the needs of the (BuCor),” he said, citing numerous previous problems, including inadequate facilities, a lack of clear doctrines, organizational weaknesses and insufficient logistics.
Catapang took the reins from Gerald Bantag, who is presently at large and has fled prosecution from criminal charges for the murder of journalist Percival “Percy Lapid” Mabasa.
Despite these challenges, Catapang expressed pride in the agency’s progress, saying the BuCor has gained an additional 4,000 personnel, while the construction and improvement of various facilities are ongoing in operating prisons and penal farms nationwide.
He emphasized that poor performance by some personnel could affect the entire organization, likening them to rotten fruit in a basket that could cause the others to spoil.
“You are being rated based on your performance. If you are not fit for the job, we will remove you from the service,” he warned. (PNA)
