BuCor underscores need to set up more regional prison facilities
The Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) underscored the need to set up prison facilities in all regions in the country to achieve a more equitable and effective corrections system.
BuCor Director General Gregorio Pio P. Catapang Jr. said he brought up the importance of setting up regional prison facilities during the Second National Decongestion Summit held last Jan. 21 to 23 at the Manila Hotel.
Catapang said Bucor already has regional facilities in the National Capital Region (NCR) – the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa City and the Correctional Institution for Women (CIW) in Mandaluyong City.
The other regional prisons are the Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm (IPPF) and the Sablayan Prison and Penal Farm (SPPF) in Region IV-B; Leyte Regional Prison in Region VIII; San Ramon Prison and Penal Farm (SRPPF) in Region IX; and the Davao Prison and Penal Farm (DPPF) in Region XI, he also said.
He added that the SPPF is the super maximum facility (SMF) in Luzon. SMFs in the Visayas and Mindanao have yet to be set up.
At the same time, Catapang stressed the importance of establishing regional facilities in the Cordillera Administrative Region, Region I, Region II, Region III, Region IV-A, Region V, Region VI, Region VII, Negros Island Region, Region X, Region XII, Region XIII, and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
He explained that Republic Act No. 10575 mandates the establishment of Regional Prison Facilities (RPFs), while RA 11928 mandates the establishment of separate facilities for heinous crimes -- one each for Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.
“The time to act is now. For a just and rehabilitative correctional system to thrive, proactive measures must be taken to bridge the existing gaps,” Catapang pointed out.