Palace condemns killing of BuCor’s top lawyer

“We condemn any act of violence. Palagi kaming ganyan (That will always be our stand). As a matter of policy, we condemn any transgressions of the law, any violation inflicted on any person, any murder, we condemn that,” Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said in a media interview. (File Photo: Office of the Presidential Spokesperson/Facebook)

MANILA — Malacañang condemned Wednesday’s killing of Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) legal service chief Frederic Santos by unknown assailants in Muntinlupa City.

“We condemn any act of violence. Palagi kaming ganyan (That will always be our stand). As a matter of policy, we condemn any transgressions of the law, any violation inflicted on any person, any murder, we condemn that,” Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said in a media interview.

Santos had been among those who appeared before the Senate during a legislative inquiry into the anomalous implementation of the Expanded Good Conduct Time Allowance (GCTA) law where a number of convicts not entitled to benefit from it were apparently released.

Panelo dismissed that it has anything to do with the government’s crackdown on corruption stressing Santos’ ambush might have been the result of “personal conflict.”

“We don’t know exactly whether or not this is a personal case meaning it might be a retaliation from some personal wrongdoing that he has committed,” he said.

The death of Santos, he said, will not stop the government from investigating the GCTA because other individuals will come out to expose corrupt activities in the New Bilibid Prison (NBP).

“People will always reveal certain truths about their agencies, offices. Lalabas at lababas ‘yan. Hindi lahat ng tao kasama sa mga (It will come out. Not everyone is part of a) conspiracy on corruption,” he said.

He said Palace will await results of the investigation to be conducted by the Philippine National Police (PNP) and hopes justice will be served.

“We have to investigate what happened to that person,” said Panelo, also Chief Presidential Legal Counsel.

Reports showed that Santos was gunned down in front of the Southernside Montessori School along Katihan St. in Barangay Poblacion as he was about to fetch his daughter from the school.

The victim was on board a Toyota Hilux pickup when two unidentified men appeared and shot the victim’s head before fleeing to an unknown direction.

In August last year, Ruperto Traya Jr., chief administrative officer 3 of BuCor, was also gunned down in Muntinlupa City.