A total of 4,125 persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) at the prison facilities of the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) are qualified to vote during this year’s May 12 mid-term national and local elections.
BuCor Director General Gregorio Pio P. Catapang Jr. on Friday, May 9, said he has ordered the superintendents of all operating prison and penal farms (OPPFs) “to ensure the orderly and peaceful conduct of elections in their areas of jurisdictions on May 12.”
The BuCor said those qualified to vote include 2,135 PDLs from the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa City; 924 from the Davao Prison and Penal Farm (DPPF); 421 from Leyte Regional Prison (LRP); 290 from San Ramon Prison and Penal Farm (SRPPF) in Zamboanga del Sur; 140 from Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm (IPPF) in Puerto Princesa, Palawan; 123 from Correctional Institution for Women (CIW) in Mandaluyong City; and 92 from CIW-Mindanao.
It explained that those qualified to vote are PDLs who have cases still undergoing trial; those who are serving a sentence of imprisonment for less than one year; those who are convicted of crimes involving disloyalty to the duly constituted government such as rebellion, sedition, violation of the firearms laws or any crime against national security or for any other crime are on appeal.
Last December, Catapang signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the Commission on Elections (Comelec), Public Attorney’s Office (PAO), and Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) “to promote and implement an inclusive voting environment for PDLs this coming 2025 National and Local Election (NLE), Bangsamoro Parliamentary Elections (BPE), and subsequent elections.”