5 BuCor execs to be held liable for Leviste caper – De Lima

Five Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) officials will face charges for allowing former Batangas Governor Jose Antonio Leviste to leave prison two weeks ago without a pass, Justice Secretary Leila De Lima said on Tuesday. De Lima said that four of the five officials will face administrative charges while one of them will be sanctioned for both criminal and administrative liabilities. “There will be formal administrative proceedings kung saan papanagutin sila. Magkakaroon ng desisyon what penalties impose sa kanila ranging from suspension to dismissal," she told reporters after a House justice committee hearing on Tuesday. The justice chief earlier revealed that New Bilibid Prison custodian Fortunato Justo will face criminal actions for Leviste’s illegal "vacation" outside prison on May 18. However, De Lima refused to name the four other BuCor officials because President Benigno Aquino III is still reviewing the Department of Justice (DOJ)’s report on the Leviste incident. “Im just waiting for clearance from the President to release the report to the media... Sabi niya naman sa akin, give him time to read the report," she said. De Lima added that the DOJ fact-finding team also recommended administrative charges for former BuCor chief Ernesto Diokno but were rendered “moot and academic" after his resignation on Monday. The House justice panel’s hearing on Tuesday morning focused on a measure seeking to improve the BuCor. The committee will conduct an ocular inspection and a hearing at the NBP compound in Mandaluyong City next week to check the status of prisoners in the national penitentiary. - VVP, GMA News