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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider CJ Gesmundo leads opening ceremonies of Jail Decongestion Summit at Manila Hotel starting 5 p.m. on Jan. 21

CJ Gesmundo leads opening ceremonies of Jail Decongestion Summit at Manila Hotel starting 5 p.m. on Jan. 21

Published Jan 20, 2026 02:40 pm
Chief Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo will lead the opening ceremonies in the 2nd National Decongestion Summit starting at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 21, at the Manila Hotel.
Top government officials are expected to attend the summit that will tackle efforts that have been undertaken and will pursue to decongest jail and prison facilities in the country.
The opening ceremonies and the two-day summit sessions on Jan. 22 and 23 will be held at the Pandanggo and Polkabal Halls of the Manila Hotel.
Aside from Chief Justice Gesmundo, the other speakers during the opening ceremonies are Department of Justice (DOJ) Acting Secretary Fredderick A. Vida, Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Undersecretary Rolando C. Puno, SC Associate Justice Maria Filomena D. Singh, and Australian Ambassador H.E. Marc Innes-Brown.
Also expected to attend the summit are international partners – the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Government of Australia, the European Union through the European Union-Governance in Justice Programme, and the International Development Law Organization and United Nations Office for Project Services.
The summit is spearheaded by the Justice Sector Coordinating Council (JSCC) which is composed of the SC, the DOJ, and the DILG.
Through the JSCC, the government has set up at least 16 Justice Zones (JZs) in the country where judges, law enforcers, prosecutors, public attorneys, and managers of detention facilities meet to identify problems and arrive at common solutions to address them.
In a press briefer, the SC said the Manila Hotel summit is in line with the JSCC’s project on jail decongestion and will focus on long-term structural and legislative reforms.
Published reports stated that congestion rates in jail and prison facilities in 2025 remained high.
The Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) reported around 280 percent jail congestion nationally as of September 2025, while the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) showed rates near 290 percent, particularly in its New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa City.
Staring at 8 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 22, the speakers, moderators and presenters during the summit are Justice Singh, SC Associate Justice Raul B. Villanueva, Court of Appeals (CA) Associate Justice Jaime Fortunato A. Caringal, Sandiganbayan Associate Justice Karl B. Miranda, Court of Tax Appeals (CTA) Associate Justice Maria Rowena Modesto-San Pedro, Parole and Probation Administration Administrator Atty. Bienvenido O. Benitez, Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) President Atty. Allan G. Panolong, CA Associate Justice Jennifer Joy C. Ong, and retired senior state prosecutor Lilian Doris S. Alejo.
The speakers, moderators and presenters on Friday, Jan. 23, are SC Senior Associate Justice Marvic M.V.F Leonen, CA Associate Justice Ronaldo Roberto B. Martin, CA Associate Justice Wilhelmina B. Jorge-Wagan, CA Associate Justice Michael P. Ong, Sandiganbayan Associate Justice Lord A. Villanueva, CTA Associate Justice Jean Marie Alcantara Bacorro-Villena, Court Administrator Maria Theresa Dolores Gomez-Estoesta, DOJ Undersecretary Deo L. Marco, DILG Assistant Secretary Maria Liavel C. Badillo-Crisostomo, Commission on Human Rights Chairperson Richard Paat Palpal-Iatoc, CHR Commissioner Faydah Maniri Dumarpa, and National Amnesty Commission Chairperson Atty. Leah C. Tanodra-Armamento.
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