The Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) has imposed sanctions on around 200 personnel as part of efforts to overhaul an institution long plagued by corruption and systemic neglect, director general Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr. said Wednesday.

Speaking on DAILY TRIBUNE’s Straight Talk, Catapang said the disciplinary actions were part of broader reforms aimed at restoring integrity and professionalism in the country’s prison system after decades of entrenched problems.

“Two hundred personnel were either removed, penalized, (given) no salary or whatever. It’s a warning that if you repeat that, you will be given a higher penalty,” Catapang said.

According to Catapang, the BuCor inherited an organization burdened by longstanding issues that allowed illegal activities to flourish within its correctional facilities.

He said corruption had become embedded in the prison system, with some personnel accepting favors from persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) and turning a blind eye to prohibited activities.

The BuCor chief cited illegal drugs, contraband and prostitution among the problems the agency had to confront when he assumed office in 2022.

Civilian character

Catapang said reforming the institution has required not only disciplining erring personnel but also changing the organizational culture within the bureau.

He noted that BuCor became a uniformed service in 2013 but the transition was not fully implemented before the current administration.

Unlike the military, where commanders have broader disciplinary authority, Catapang said implementing reforms in BuCor has been more challenging because the agency remains largely civilian in structure.

He described the bureau as a “flat organization,” saying the limited number of its senior officials makes supervision and enforcement of policies more difficult.

“I have to go down to supervise, to make sure that it’s implemented,” he said, adding that despite the challenges, BuCor has made significant progress over the past four years.

“After four years, I can say that we have made a great turnaround. We have returned to a good system,” he said.

Still, he acknowledged that corruption has not been completely eliminated and stressed that reforms must be institutionalized to ensure that they continue beyond the current leadership.

In and out

“It takes time,” Catapang said, adding that decades of neglect cannot be reversed overnight.

Beyond internal reforms, Catapang said the bureau continues to face operational challenges, particularly prison congestion.

BuCor currently houses some 52,000 persons deprived of liberty nationwide, far exceeding the combined capacity of its prison and penal farms.

Although the bureau has released around 33,000 inmates since 2022, Catapang said the gains have been offset by the continuous transfer of new inmates from the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology and provincial jails.

The BuCor chief said addressing corruption, strengthening personnel discipline and easing prison congestion remain central to the agency’s long-term reform agenda.