Reporting the missing link: BuCor official’s death and the GCTA racket

CHEERS TO Interaksyon for a quick follow-up, immediately reporting on the possible link between the death of Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) official Ruperto Traya Jr. and the “aborted release” of former Calauan Laguna Mayor Antonio Sanchez.

On August 27, Traya, Chief Administrative Officer 3 of BuCor, was shot dead in Muntinlupa. Traya was working closely with the documents section involved in qualifying inmates for early release through the Good Conduct Time Allowance (GCTA) law. A week before Traya’s death, the possibility of Sanchez’ early release had provoked widespread public outrage.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) initially denied any possible link between the two incidents. Media reported the dismissal by the Muntinlupa City police of any possibility that Traya’s killing was related to his work. National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) Chief Police Maj. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar also claimed that Traya’s death could have been due to his alleged involvement in the drug trade in Leyte. Department of Justice Spokesperson and Undersecretary Markk Perete also said that “… iyong initial report nila seems to be unrelated dito sa GCTA implementation.”

Most of the media reports followed PNP’s narrative, reporting the killing as a run-of-the-mill crime. But Interaksyon’s August 29 report was the first to point out the possible link between Traya’s death and the GCTA for sale scheme. Quoting his wife, the report noted that Traya worked in the division responsible for collating and processing papers on the recomputation of the Bilibid inmates’ GCTA.

Some reports picked up this angle only after Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III confirmed the connection on September 2 through intelligence reports. “Don nagsisimula itong mga release orders…According to intel reports that we gathered from the inside, it is related to the releases,” Sotto said.

More stories followed suit after Senate witness Yolanda Camilon tagged Traya in the anomaly on September 5. Camilon claimed that she paid BuCor Documents Section Chief Ramoncito Roque for the early release of her husband. Camilon also said that she was informed of death threats against Traya by another BuCor official.

The media should hone the ability to piece together or reveal patterns through analysis suggested by the reported facts. Without that skill, media are led into merely echoing the narrative of the official sources on whom they too often rely for information to the exclusion of others.