P100M worth of CCTVs to be installed at Bilibid in 2024 -- BuCor
About P100 million worth of closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras will be installed at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa City in 2024 to monitor effectively the activities of persons deprived of liberty (PDLs), Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) Director General Gregorio Pio P. Catapang Jr. said on Friday, Sept. 8.
“Next year meron tayong budget na P100 million para lang maglagay ng CCTV sa bawat kubol o silid (We now have a budget of P100 million for the installation next year of CCTVs in every shelter of inmates),” Catapang said during the Laging Handa Public Briefing.
He said that BuCor has started installing CCTVs at the NBP "pero kulang po ‘yung budget (but the budget is not sufficient)."
He explained that the installation of the CCTVs is part of the BuCor’s efforts to prevent the entry of contrabands and deter inmates from engaging in illegal activities.
As part of these measures, Catapang said he has ordered the removal of walls from the kubols. "Pinakalatest po 2,812 na kubol ang pinagtatanggal natin ‘yung dingding (We have removed the walls in 2,812 kubols),” he said.
“Ngayon kitang kita po sila kung nagsusugal, nag-iillegal activities or nagda-drugs (Now we can see if the inmates are engaged in illegal activities like gambling and the use of dangerous drugs),” he also said.
He noted that it was Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin C. Remulla who gave the instructions to remove the walls of the kubols.
He admitted that due to congestion at the NBP, BuCor encounters difficulties in guarding the PDLs.
“Ang hirap bantayan ng mga PDLs dahil ang ratio po dito is one to 27, kada isang guwardiya, 27 PDLs ang binabantayan (It’s difficult to guard because the ratio is one guard for every 27 inmates),” he lamented.
“Samantala ang talagang dapat na ratio is one is to seven para sa ganon lahat ng PDLs lalo na sa maximum nababantayan po (The ideal ratio is one is to seven so that every inmate will be guarded especially those in the Maximum Security Compound),” he said.
On congestion, Catapang said that BuCor has started transferring NBP's PDLs to other prison farms in the country.