JUSTICE Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II will now personally head the Bureau of Corrections (Bucor) after the resignation of its director. In Department Order 505 which he issued on July 26, Aguirre said he would directly supervise the management and operations of BuCor amid a revival of the illegal drug trade inside its jails. ”In a view of the indefinite leave of absence of BuCor Director General Benjamin Delos Santos, the undersigned in his capacity as Secretary of Justice, vested by law with the powers granted under Republic Act No. Aguirre’s assumption as BuCor director will take effect immediately and shall remain in effect until further orders or until a new director general has been appointed. Santiago was former head of BuCor, which supervises jails intended for persons convicted of crimes, from 2003 to 2004.

Source: Manila Times July 27, 2017 07:41 UTC