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500 'high-value prisoners' transferred to Sablayan Prison in Occidental Mindoro – BuCor
500 'high-value prisoners' transferred to Sablayan Prison in Occidental Mindoro – BuCor
Five hundred persons deprived of liberty (PDLs), most of them convicted of heinous crimes, have been transferred from the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa City to the Sablayan Prison and Penal Farm (SPPF) in Occidental Mindoro.
Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) Director General Gregorio P. Catapang Jr., during an interview on DZBB, said the PDLs were transferred last Thursday, Aug. 10.
Catapang said: “500 po ‘yung nilipat ko kahapon (I transferred 500 inmates yesterday).”
“Medyo sinikreto ko. Hindi ako nagpa-media kasi high-value targets ito, high-value prisoners (I made this a secret. I did not inform the media about this because these are high-value targets, high-value prisoners),” he explained.
He said that most of those transferred were convicted drug lords and high-profile murderers.
He said the SPPF facility at the SPPF “is a very secure prison.”
“Nasa bundok kayo. Wala kayo signal doon tapos may sarili kayong selda, magkakahiwalay. ‘Yung mga tumatakas doon bumabalik din kasi sabi nila ‘sir, mamatay kami dito sa bundok, maliligaw kami (You are located on a mountain. You have no cellphone signal and each inmate has his own prison cell. Those who managed to escape were forced to return because they explained ‘sir, we will die in the mountain, we will get lost’),” he also said.
He explained that BuCor does not allow cell sites from telecommunication companies in the 8,000-hectare property of the SPPF.
He noted that the transfer of the PDLs was done on instructions of Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Jesus Crispin C. Remulla.
“Lahat ng mga ilipat mo na matitigas ang ulo doon mo dalhin (All of the stubborn ones transfer them there),” Catapang recounted what Remulla told him.
Catapang said that before their transfer, the PDLs were thoroughly searched of their possessions. He did not disclose if there were banned items confiscated.
Prior to their transfer, Catapang said search operations were conducted against these inmates who were given an ultimatum to surrender their possessions.
He expressed his suspicion that the PDLs who were transferred could be behind the numerous issues BuCor has been facing at the NBP.
“‘Yung iba pa nga nagpepetition ng kung ano ano bakit ko raw doon inilipat. Siguro ‘yung mga taong drug lords na naapektuhan kaya yumayanig ngayon sa akin kasi alam niyo naman malalakas na tao ‘yan (Some of them filed petitions questioning the transfer. Maybe some of the drug lords who were affected are trying to rattle me because they are very influential),” he said.
At the same time, Catapang said he has reduced the amount of money a PDL can receive weekly from his family.
“Dati P2,000 weekly. P1,000 lang muna (Before, it was P2,000 weekly. Now it is P1,000),” he said.
He said the decision to reduce the weekly monetary support by the families of the PDLs was a result of a congressional hearing where it was one of the issues discussed.