Who Is Gregorio Catapang Jr., the New Bureau of Corrections Director Set to Clean Up the Agency?

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. appointed Gregorio Catapang Jr. as the new director general of the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) on Friday, March 24, a release from the Department of Justice (DOJ) confirms.

Catapang has been the officer-in-charge of the BuCor since October, replacing the controversial former BuCor Chief Gerald Bantag. The latter had been put under preventative suspension for his connection to the death of broadcaster Percival “Percy Lapid” Mabasa. The former BuCor chief had also been allegedly nvolved in the death of inmate Jun Villamor, who had direct links with the murder.

What We Know About Gregorio Catapang Jr.

In January, DOJ Chief Jesus Crispin "Boying" Remulla vouched for Catapang, saying that he would "push" for his appointment in the Cabinet. “Just a while ago when Catapang was introduced, he was called ‘acting BuCor director.’ The next time I come here, he will be the next BuCor chief. I am counting by the hours before we get the signed appointment papers from the President,” Remulla said to reporters at the time.

The new BuCor chief is a decorated and well-respected military veteran. Catapang graduated from the Philippine Military Academy Dimalupig Class of 1981, and had gone on to become a former head of the AFP Northern Luzon Command and 7th Infantry Division. In the past, he was also a part of the Reform the Armed Forces Movement.

He served as the 45th Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff under the late former president Benigno Simeon "Noynoy" Aquino III, from July 2014 to July 2015, and announced his retirement after his tenure.

The former AFP chief of staff is known to have close ties with the Aquinos. Catapang and the former President met during the 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution. Before the uprising, the new BuCor chief was also a former rebel soldier during the Marcos dictatorship.

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The Bilibid Fiasco

As it stands, former BuCor Chief Bantag faces the following cases:

• 11 counts of malversation through falsification of official documents
• 11 counts of graft
• 11 counts of violation of the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officers and Employees
• Administrative cases for grave misconduct, dishonesty and conduct prejudicial to the interest of the service

It was reported in October 2022 that Villamor had died inside the national penitentiary. Later on, an autopsy conducted by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) revealed that there had been no signs of external injuries on his body. Bantag became the primary suspect. "(He) had a clear motive to effect the murders. For Percy Lapid, it was the continued expose by the latter of the issues against the latter on his show Lapid Fire," NBI special action unit investigator Eugene Javier explained.

In November, DOJ and Department of the Interior and Local Government filed murder complaints against Bantag, former BuCor Superintendent Ricardo Zulueta (Bantag's alleged right-hand man), and 10 others in relation to Lapid and Villamor’s deaths.

It was Catapang who revealed the other controversies that we know about Bantag now. Under the new chief's watch, the agency found numerous contraband items inside the national penitentiary. About 7,000 canned beers, mobile phones, weapons, and suspected shabu had been confiscated inside Bilibid's maximum security compound. Even animals like horses, chickens for cockfighting, and snakes were also found.

Another troubling discovery was the tunnel inside the compound, as well as a deep excavation project within its walls. The hole reportedly ran 30 meters deep and went 200 meters wide. Bantag would respond to the investigation by saying that he had wanted to build the deepest swimming pool in Metro Manila. Remulla, on the other hand, said that he had been informed by Bantag that the hole would be used for the search of the "Yamashita treasure." The excavation did not go through the appropriate processes.

December also brought on new legal issues for Bantag, after two gang leaders in the prison alleged that the former BuCor chief had stabbed them sometime in February 2022. Catapang also claimed that BuCor personnel under his predecessor's watch had charged visiting families entrance fees, ranging from P30 to P40, to see their loved ones inside the prison. Bantag has been accused of harassing inmates and torturing prison guards, as well.

He has also been questioned for the release of funds for the construction of BuCor facilities during his term. He had been granted P1 billion to build four buildings and P950 million of such had been released to him. Unfortunately, only 60 percent of the project was complete, as officials allege that the former chief had halted the construction.

Apart from his murder charges, Bantag is facing administrative sanctions for allowing convicted kidnapper and former military general Jovito Palparan an interview on the Quiboloy-led SMNI Television Network without securing the BuCor's approval in 2021.