By Azer Parrocha | Philippine News Agency
MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte on Sunday (Nov. 7) greeted the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) on its 116th anniversary, lauding officials and employees for maintaining a “humane and efficient correctional system” in the country.
“My warmest greetings to the Bureau of Corrections as you mark your 116th anniversary,” Duterte said in a prerecorded video message.
He praised BuCor for protecting the public by safekeeping and reforming persons under custody adhering to international standards of corrections service.
“For more than a century, the bureau has maintained a humane and efficient correctional system for people deprived of liberty while at the same time ensuring the safety of our society,” he added.
Duterte enjoined BuCor officials and employees to keep on having strong moral principles.
“May you continue to serve our justice system and entire nation with dedication, accountability and integrity. I wish you a happy occasion at mabuhay kayong lahat (long live),” he added.
BuCor refers to the central office and the prison and penal farms which are known as colonies.
The central office headed by the Director-General, with the rank of Undersecretary, has control and supervision over the prison and penal farms.
In September 2019, Duterte ordered a total revamp of the BuCor to curb corruption within the bureau.
This comes following a scandal inside prisons involving the granting of a good conduct time allowance (GCTA) for the early release of some inmates. (PNA) – bny
