Cordillera - The Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA) conducted Testimonial Parade and Review to BuCor Chief Gerald Bantag at the Camp General Mariano N. CastaƱeda in Silang, Cavite on March 3, 2022.
The academy honored General Bantag for being the first 4-Star General who came from the PNPA.
Gen. Bantag who is from the Cordillera region is the current Director General of the Bureau of Corrections under the appointment of President Rodrigo Duterte.
Duterte handpicked Gen. Bantag as Director of the bureau because of his vast experience in BJMP.
“But in the meantime, gusto ko siya kasi nagtatapon ng granada daw. Gusto ko ngang magkuha ng santo wala naman, ganun rin. Magkuha ng military, wala. Dito ka sa talagang may experience sa BJMP (In the meantime, I want him in because I heard, he throws grenade. I was looking for a saint but I couldn’t find anyone. I searched the military but none [qualified]. So (I) picked the one with experience in BJMP).
On August 11, 2016, an explosion happened inside an office at the Paranaque City jail when Bantag was then the jail warden. The explosion killed 10 Chinese detainees who had been charged with drug trafficking.
In his 4-year term as BuCor Chief, Bantag has implemented major improvement of the penitentiary which includes the demolition of the makeshift quarter of inmates in the New Bilibid Prison (NPB) and the reduction of drugs being produced in the NPB.