As announced yesterday and as an off-shoot of recent developments and incidents in the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor), Secretary of Justice Leila M . De Lima ordered major changes i n personnel assignments in the BuCor and its penal colonies/farms, particularly in the New Bilibid Prison (NBP), " in order to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the operations of the Bucor, especially in combating illegal activities" in said facilities.

Aside from relieving certain personnel from their posts in key and sensitive areas, including the Chief Superintendent of the N B P and the Superintendents of the Maximum, Medium and Minimum Security Compounds, and re-assigning others to immediately assume such vacated posts, and other posts such as the Commanders of the Guards in all three (3) NBP compounds, Secretary De Lima also designated National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Deputy Director RAFAEL Z. RAGOS as the new Ofncer-in-Charge (OIC) of the BuCor, to take over from Parole and Probation Administrator MANUEL G. CO, who has been serving as OIC for the BuCor since August 22, 2012.

According to Secretary De Lima, "I am very grateful and appreciative of all the hard work and sacrifices of Administrator Manny Co while he served as OIC of the BuCor. It is not an easy job to head one agency, and it is that much more daunting to head two agencies simultaneously, especially when one of them comes with tremendous challenges like the magnitude of those that accompany the post of OICBuCor Director. I feel that it is not fair to further burden h im with the demands of running and overseeing the operations of the BuCor and several penal farms and colonies. I have, thus, designated NBI Deputy Director Ragos, whom I have previously detailed partially in the BuCor, to take over as OIC, and whom I see as possessing the fire, toughness and single-mindedness of character to immediately install drastic but effective changes to address the major problems i n the BuCor, such as the smuggling and trade in illegal drugs and other contrabands."

Department Order Nos. 981 and 982, s. 2012, which designates the new OIC and directs the re-assignment of key personnel, respectively, takes effect immediately.

Enclosures: Department Order Nos. 981 and 982.