FILE PHOTO: Suspended Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) Director Gerald Bantag. INQUIRER / GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE
MANILA, Philippines 鈥� Suspended Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) Director General Gerald Bantag faces a new charge related to an alleged illegal excavation at the New Bilibid Prison.
BuCor officer-in-charge Gregorio Catapang on Monday said the findings of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources showed that the excavation in the country鈥檚 main penitentiary, near the director general鈥檚 quarters, is 鈥渋llegal.鈥�
鈥淪o, given that meron nang findings, magfa-file po kami ng illegal excavation sa nakatira dito, kay Bantag,鈥� Catapang told Teleradyo鈥檚 Kabayan.
(Given the findings, we will file illegal excavation against the person living here, Bantag.)
READ: DOJ: BuCor asks COA to audit anomalies in Bilibid excavation
鈥淜okonsulta po namin sa DOJ (Department of Justice) kung anong kaso po ito, saan isasampa,鈥� he added.
(We will consult with the DOJ on what case we should lodge, and where to file it.)
Catapang has previously uncovered an excavation in the Bilibid facility that spans over four acres. At its deepest point, the dig went down around 30 meters.
Bantag asserted that he was planning to build the 鈥渄eepest swimming pool in Metro Manila鈥� as he and other BuCor personnel are scuba diving enthusiasts.
READ: Bantag鈥檚 鈥榩ool鈥� project in Bilibid surprises DOJ
Catapang said he would order personnel to cover the excavation area after the holiday break.
It was recently reported that Bantag 鈥� a respondent in the murder complaint over the killings of radio broadcaster Percy Lapid and the alleged middleman in the kill plot, Cristito 鈥淛un Villamor鈥� Pala帽a 鈥� will also face plunder charges for supposedly endorsing P300 million in unauthorized advance payments for incomplete prison projects.
READ: Plunder raps adding to Bantag鈥檚 legal woes