More than 10 senators have expressed their support to a law that seeks the establishment of a "super maximum" penitentiary where high-profile criminals can be detained and prevented from connecting with other prisoners and cut their communication from anyone outside their facility.

Senate President Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri disclosed this during a press briefing a few hours after the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced the filing of murder charges against suspended Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) director general Gerald Bantag, against BuCor Deputy Security Officer (DSO) Ricardo Zulueta and other persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) linked to the death of radio broadcaster Percival “Percy Lapid” Mabasa and alleged conspirator Cristito Palaña, who was earlier referred to as Jun or Crisanto Villamor.

Zubiri said Bantag’s supposed link to the killing of the middleman in Lapid’s murder could be sufficient reason to push for the creation of a super maximum jail outside Metro Manila.

“Kaya nga tinutulak natin yung ‘super max’. Ituloy na natin yung super max (That’s why we are pushing for the super max. Let’s pursue the ‘super max’. I’m actually asking Sen. Angara to put a budget on the super max prisons that the DOJ is preparing for this year,” Zubiri told reporters during a press briefing after the Senate’s plenary session.

Sen. Sonny Angara is chair of the Senate Committee on Finance which is in charge of sponsoring the proposed 2023 national budget.

This super maximum facility, he said, would be patterned to the U.S. Penitentiary Administrative Maximum Facility—America’s highest-security federal prison.

“We will put them in an isolated area,” Zubiri said.

The Senate leader, however, declined to identify the place where the proposed facility would be built.

“I will no longer discuss the area, binanggit na sa akin ni (Justice) Secretary (Jesus Crispin) Remulla,” he said.

“Ayoko na magsabi kasi may mga reaction yung mga local officials and yung iba ayaw nila eh (I don't want to say anything because the local officials have reactions and the others don't want it) in their community,” he said.

“Pero alam mo kung isolated naman yung area (But if that is an isolated area), I think it would not be detrimental to the community),” added the senator.

Last August, Zubiri announced that Senate Bill No. 1055 and House Bill No. 10355 or the proposed Separate Facility for Heinous Crimes Inmates Act lapsed into law.

Under the law, the separate facility shall be built in a suitable located to be determined by the DOJ Secretary, away from the general population and other persons deprived of liberty (PDLs).

Also under the law, the facility should be within a military establishment or an island separate from the mainland.

Zubiri said lawmakers will have to find a way to fund the construction of the facility at the bicameral conference committee level, so the government can immediately start the site development by next year.

“We are looking at 15,000 rooms. There will be a correctional facility—index crimes and heinous crimes,” he said.

“The super max facility will have individual cells of two people. They will be given one hour to leave their cell. They won’t be allowed to talk; they cannot plan,” added Zubiri.