BuCor allows House detention for Taguba

By Benjamin Pulta, Philippine News Agency

FILE: Bureau of Corrections in Muntinlupa (Photo by Monzonda at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0)

MANILA – The Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) on Friday said it has acceded to the request of the House Quad Committee (Quad Comm)’s request for the temporary transfer of convicted Customs broker Mark Taguba from the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) to the House of Representatives detention facility due to potential security threats.

“With the guidance of Justice Secretary Crispin Remulla, we allow Taguba to be under the custody of the (House) Sergeant-at-Arms subject to existing protocols and guidelines,” BuCor Director General Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr.

said in a statement.

“The transfer is intended to remain in effect until the Quad Committee concludes its investigation or until the potential threats against Taguba are adequately addressed.”

The motion for Taguba’s transfer from the national penitentiary was put forth during Wednesday’s Quad Comm hearing by Abang Lingkod Party-list Rep. Stephen Paduano.

During the hearing, the Customs “fixer” stood by his seven-year-old testimony linking Davao City Rep. Paolo Duterte, his brother-in-law Manases Carpio and other members of the so-called “Davao Group” in the smuggling of PHP6.4 billion worth of shabu in 2017.

He was convicted, along with two others, by the Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 46 last Nov. 18 in relation to the importation of some 600 kg.

of shabu from China in 2017 and sentenced him to life imprisonment.