The OIC was ordered to formally revoke the release orders of convicted criminals whose sentences were shortened for good behavior. #BuCorOIC

Department of Justice (DoJ) Secretary Menardo I. Guevarra has designated DoJ Assistant Secretary and Deputy Director General Melvin Ramon G. Buenafe as officer-in-charge (OIC) of the Office of the Bureau of Corrections’ (BuCor) director general.

“In addition to administering the day-to-day affairs of the BuCor, OIC Director General Buenafe is further authorized, subject to applicable laws, rules and regulations to effect permissible movements of BuCor personnel, to adopt strict measures to ensure the integrity and proper safekeeping of official records, particularly records of good conduct time allowances (GCTA) and other similar time credits, and to take appropriate steps for the formal revocation of release orders improvidently issued and for the re-commitment of Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDL) erroneously released from prison by reason thereof, pursuant to the verbal orders issued by President Rodrigo R. Duterte during his press conference on 04 September 2019,” read the directive of Guevarra issued on Friday or Department Order No. 468 designating the OIC.

Guevarra also ordered the creation of a committee headed by DoJ Undersecretary Deo L. Marco and composed of Assistant Secretaries Neal V. Bainto and George Ortha II to exercise close administrative supervision over BuCor pending appointment by the President of a new director general.

The post of BuCor director general was left vacant after President Rodrigo Duterte fired Nicanor Faeldon on Wednesday night over the early release of nearly 2,000 convicts under the controversial GCTA law.

The said law allowed the convicts’ sentence to be shortened for good behavior.