BuCor orders charges vs CIW officials over trust fund irregularities

MANILA, Philippines—The Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) ordered the filing of charges against two officials and five other personnel at the Correctional Institution for Women (CIW) over more than P6 million in missing funds and administrative irregularities.

In a statement on Wednesday, BuCor Director General Gregorio Catapang Jr. approved the recommendation to initiate administrative proceedings against former superintendents Daisy Sevilla-Castillote and Marjorie Ann Sanidad.

The former superintendents were allegedly involved in handling funds entrusted to them by persons deprived of liberty (PDLs).

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Castillote will face administrative proceedings for gross neglect of duty and grave misconduct for her tenure as CIW superintendent, according to a Directorate for Intelligence and Investigation (DII) report dated Aug. 30.

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“According to the investigation, she failed to exercise the required diligence in supervising, monitoring, reconciling, and maintaining institutional control over the PDL Trust Fund,” the BuCor said.

Sanidad, who served as acting CIW superintendent before Castillote’s appointment, was also cited for authorizing a P300,000 fund advance to cover a reported remittance intended for PDLs that had not been properly transmitted.

“The transaction was likewise deemed inconsistent with existing policies governing the use and disposition of PDL Trust Fund resources,” the BuCor said.

Catapang also filed charges against correction officer Bianca Flor Ramos after the DII found discrepancies of over P5 million during her term as the CIW trust fund officer.

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Meanwhile, the final audit report of BuCor’s parallel investigation conducted on Aug. 25 reflected an unaccounted amount of P6.4 million.

This figure does not include the more than P1.2 million accounted amount yet to be collected or listed as receivables.

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Last month, Ramos promised to cooperate with the bureau’s investigation into the missing funds after suddenly reappearing following her absence without official leave on July 29.

READ: BuCor trust fund officer to cooperate in probe

CIW’s incoming trust fund officer Maryrose Abucay was also cited for deficiencies in the turnover of duties.

These included the lack of formal turnover documents and independent witnesses during the turnover of cash and other accountabilities, as well as inadequate documentation and verification of funds.

Catapang also ordered charges against three other trust fund personnel—Madel Figuerres, Gloria Lakisa, and Charlot Jennifer Carreon—over discrepancies found in their performance.

Their lapses included the recording, documentation, monitoring, reconciliation, maintenance, and verification of trust fund transactions and related records.

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BuCor said the “personnel’s collective shortcomings contributed to weaknesses in the accuracy, reliability, and accountability of PDL Trust Fund documentation.” With a report from Sheridan Delfino /mcm