The Philippine government on Wednesday replaced the chief of Bureau of Corrections as the bureau has been under fire for days concerning a convicted former congressman "walked out" of his cell undisruptedly over the weekend.
According to the local television network ABS-CBN News, former correction chief Ricardo Dapat has been sacked and replaced by Oscar Calderon, the former Philippine national police chief.
Dapat's relief came after the controversial release of convicted child rapist and former congressman Romeo Jalosjos over the weekend.
Police re-arrested Jalosjos soon after he flew to his hometown in Zamboanga del Norte following the "walk-out" on Dec. 22.
Several prominent politicians have blamed Dapat for Jalosjos's escape.
Vicente Vinarao, former director of Bureau of Corrections and Dapat's predecessor, said Dapat failed to keep track of Jalosjos' movements despite having command responsibility of the national penitentiary.
"Jalosjos's defiance of the government pronouncements that he will have to stay in prison until July 2009 should have alerted him to closely monitor his movement," Vinarao said.
Jalosjos was sentenced in 1997 to two life terms on two counts of statutory rape and six counts of acts of lasciviousness of an 11-year-old child.
Based on a recommendation from the presidential palace, the Justice Department in this April commuted Jalosjos's sentences to 16 years and three months.
Source:Xinhua
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