Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Jesus 'Boying' Remulla on Monday said he already ordered the transfer of suspended Bureau of Correction (BuCor) chief Gerald Bantag's plunder complaints to the Office of the Ombudsman (OMB).
In an interview with the media, Remulla said plunder charges are not under the DOJ's jurisdiction.
"I advised them to bring the cases to the Ombudsman. The prosecutors here can refer it to the Ombudsman because we should not be handling things that are not under our jurisdiction," he said.
The DOJ chief explained that since the acts were committed by Bantag while he was still serving in BuCor, it falls under the OMB's jurisdiction.
He said the OMB would be the one to issue the subpoena to summon the respondents and witnesses.
On February 6, BuCor officer-in-charge Gregorio Catapang filed plunder complaints against Bantag and seven other officials.
The plunder charges are in relation to the alleged three unfinished construction of penal facilities in Davao, Palawan, and Leyte.
Catapang earlier said that the suspended BuCor claimed almost Php 900 million even though the facilities were only 60 percent finished.
