Bantag willing to step down over Bilibid inmate deaths

Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) chief Gerald Bantag said he is willing to be removed from his position amid controversy over inmate deaths due to COVID-19 at New Bilibid Prison.

Senator Richard Gordon urged Bantag to submit a report and take leave, while Senator Franklin Drilon called for Bantag's removal for withholding information about the deaths.

Gordon emphasized that BuCor officials should have immediately reported positive cases to the Department of Justice and Health, and stressed that BuCor lacks public trust due to its record.

The senator also suggested that BuCor executives could face administrative cases for negligence in handling the situation.