Aguirre takes over BuCor management

MANILA, Philippines — Justice Secretary Vitaliano II will take over the management and operations of the Bureau of Corrections following the resignation of Director General Benjamin Delos Santos.

On July 13, Delos Santos confirmed that he resigned as chief of the BuCor over the resurgence of the drug trade in the New Bilibid Prison.

Vitaliano's order, however, only indicated that the director general of the BuCor is on leave.

"In the interest of the service, and in view of the indefinite leave of absence of BuCor Director General Benjamin C. De Los Santos, the under signed, in his capacity as Secretary of Justice, vested by law with the powers granted under Republic Act No. 10575 or the 'The Bureau of Corrections Act of 2013,' shall directly supervise the management and operations of the BuCor, which are not within the ministerial powers of its Officer-in-Charge," the order read.

READ: BuCor chief quits over resurgence of Bilibid drug trade

Aguirre directed officials and employees of the bureau to submit and bring to his attention all matters beyond the authority of the officer-in-charge.

The Justice Secretary will supervise the BuCor until further orders or until a new director general has been appointed.

Earlier this month, President Rodrigo Duterte mentioned the resurgence of the drug trade in the country's penitentiaries.

“Diyan sa Bilibid, miski anong gawin natin, pasok pa rin ng pasok ang mga... and because ang droga, bumalik na naman. Allegedly around 400 kilos were the reason for the shootout where somebody died there sa Muntinlupa because of this,” Duterte said in a speech at the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology's anniversary. — Patricia Lourdes Viray