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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider 10,010 PDLs freed from BuCor's facilities in 5 months ending Dec. 4

10,010 PDLs freed from BuCor's facilities in 5 months ending Dec. 4

Published Dec 7, 2023 09:46 am

A total of 10,010 persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) had been released from the prison facilities of the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) from July 1 to Dec. 4, 2023.

BuCor Director General Gregorio Pio P. Catapang Jr. attributed the large number of freed PDLs to the bureau's "Bilis Laya" program. 

Catapang disclosed the number of released PDLs in his presentation during the National Jail Decongestion Summit held in Manila and spearheaded by the Supreme Court, the Department of Justice and the Department of the Interior and Local Government.

The summit is aimed at setting up ways and means to decongest all jails in the country.

He also told the summit participants that BuCor is still on track to close the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa City and the Correctional Institution for Women (CIW) in Mandaluyong City by 2028.

He noted that 2,009 PDLs from NBP and CIW had been transferred in 2023 to the Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm (IPPF) in Palawan, Sablayan Prison and Penal Farm (SPPF) in Occidental Mindoro, and Davao Prison and Panel Farm (DPPF) in Davao del Norte.

Before the end of 2023, Catapang said the bureau is expected to transfer about 500 more PDLs.  “And then next year we plan to transfer another 4,000,” he said. 

Despite the number of those transferred and released, BuCor could not cope up with prisoners being brought to BuCor facilities, he lamented.

“Last month ganoon po, nagpalaya po tayo ng almost 1,000 pero ang problema naman po may nagreport sa aming Reception and Diagnostic Center kung saan ‘yung reception doon sa mga nakukulong 2,000 naman ang nailipat sa amin ng BJMP (Last month, we freed around 1,000 persons but BuCor’s Reception and Diagnostic Center reported it received 2,000 individuals from the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology),” he said.  

Despite the challenges including the lack of funding, Catapang said BuCor has already laid out medium and long-term plans to decongest its jails including the regionalization of its prison facilities and opening of separate detention centers for those convicted of heinous crimes.

“As mandated by RA 10575 (BuCor Act of 2013), we will establish regional facilities in all regions of  the country,” he assured.  He said the bureau has identified 14 locations where these facilities would be erected.

He added that a super maximum prison facility had already been put up in SPPF to house PDLs convicted of heinous crimes.

There are also offers for land in Quezon, Bacolod City, and Bukidnon where facilities for persons convicted of heinous crimes can be erected, he noted.

A 1,200-hectare property in Zamboanga has also been allocated for a separate prison for Muslims as requested by the Presidential Adviser on Muslim Affairs, he also said.

Related Tags

Bureau of Corrections
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