Ex-CIW Officials to Face Charges Over Alleged Misuse of PDL Funds

Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) Director General Gregorio Catapang Jr. on Wednesday directed the filing of administrative, criminal, and civil complaints against two former superintendents of the Correctional Institution for Women (CIW) and five other personnel. This came following the bureau’s investigation into the alleged missing trust fund of persons deprived of liberty (PDL). Catapang approved the Directorate for Intelligence and Investigation’s (DII) recommendation to file administrative proceedings before the BuCor Office of Internal Affairs Service against the individuals. He also directed the filing of criminal and civil cases. According to BuCor, the former superintendent will face administrative proceedings for gross neglect of duty and grave misconduct for failing to exercise the required diligence in supervising, monitoring, reconciling, and maintaining institutional control over the trust fund. It also found that she failed to comply with the BuCor PDL Trust Fund Policy. Aside from this, it found that she authorized the use of the trust fund for the renovation and improvement of the Multipurpose Hall, Overseer’s Office, and Investigation and Verification Section Unit (IVSU). Meanwhile, the individual who served as acting CIW superintendent was also cited for authorizing the advancement of P300,000 from the fund to cover a remittance for PDLs that reportedly had not been properly transmitted. According to BuCor, the investigation found that the CIW Trust Fund Officer was unable to account for P5.1 million in PDL Trust Fund. However, it said that the final audiot report conducted by the BuCor Internal Audit Service reflected an unaccounted amount of P6.4 million without deducting the more than P1.2 million accounted amount yet to be collected or listed as receivables. Catapang said that a second review will be conducted. —VAL, GMA News