Agents to look at murder of BuCor official

JUSTICE Secretary Menardo I. Guevarra has ordered the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to investigate the killing of a prison official.

Fredric Anthony E. Santos, chief of the BuCor or Bureau of Corrections’ legal division, was shot and killed by two gunmen in Muntinlupa City on Wednesday.

The official, one of those suspended over alleged anomalies in the country’s prison system, was about to fetch his daughter from school, according to police.

Mr. Guevarra gave the NBI 30 days to build the case and submit a report.

He said the killing might be linked to irregularities in the early release of inmates, which the Senate had investigated.

“It’s still under investigation, but it’s very likely that it might have something to do with the good conduct time allowance issue,” he said, referring to state practice of early prison releases.

The Ombudsman suspended Mr. Santos and dozens of prison officials after about 2,000 inmates had been illegally release for good conduct. — Vann Marlo M. Villegas