MANILA, Philippines – Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) Director General Gregorio Catapang Jr. announced on Wednesday, April 12, that they were eyeing to close the BuCor compound in five years and all persons deprived of liberty (PDL) would be relocated in the regions by 2028.

“Isasara natin ito eh [BuCor compound]. By 2028, sarado na ‘to (We will close this place down. By 2028, this place will be closed,” Catapang told reporters during a briefing on Wednesday.

Catapang, who was just recently named BuCor chief after serving in acting capacity for almost five months, explained that this plan was part of the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) objectives to regionalize penal farms and facilities to decongest prisons. BuCor is an agency under the DOJ.

The corrections chief said by the end of April, the BuCor will start transferring PDLs in some areas in the country. According to Catapang, he will talk to the Armed Forces of the Philippines to assist them in transferring around 500 PDLs from Bilibid to Palawan. Then between May to June, another 500 will be transferred to Davao.

Catapang said his bureau would need a P77.7-billion budget for the five-year transfer project.

He also clarified that the entire Bilibid – including PDLs from the minimum, medium, and maximum security compounds – will be relocated.

So far BuCor only has seven operating units in the country, which include Bilibid and one other penal facility in Metro Manila, two in southern Luzon, one in Visayas, and two in Mindanao. To address the huge volume of PDLs, Catapang said they would ask other government agencies for lands where additional penal areas will be built.

According to Catapang, they are eyeing an area inside Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija that houses military troops in Luzon: “We want Fort Magsaysay to allocate a place for us kasi nga 2013 pa kami humihingi ng ano, lupa sa Fort Magsaysay (because since 2013, we’ve been asking for a lot inside Fort Magsaysay).

The BuCor chief added that they were also looking for an area to accommodate PDLs living in south of Metro Manila.

“[In] north of Metro Manila, we need a facility for those who are staying north of Manila na taga-Luzon. South of Metro Manila, meron na kami sa Mindoro, Sablayan. But I’m looking somewhere, para hindi tatawid dagat, I’m looking at Quezon so we need to talk to the governor of Quezon baka may lugar siya riyan,” Catapang explained.

(In north of Metro Manila, we need a facility for those who are staying north of Manila, who are from Luzon. In south of Metro Manila, we have already a facility in Mindoro, in Sablayan. But I’m looking somewhere, to avoid crossing seas, I’m looking at Quezon so we need to talk to governor of Quezon if maybe they have an area for us.)

On the fate of BuCor compound in Muntinlupa, Catapang said the BuCor headquarters will remain in the compound, while 250-hectares of the land will be used for government centers. The national historical sites located within the compound, including schools and churches, will remain, Catapang added.

However, the residential areas will be relocated to a social housing that the government plans to build in the area, the BuCor chief explained.

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The regionalization of penal farms to decongest prisons was mentioned by DOJ as early as last year. In August 2022, DOJ Secretary Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla said they plan to relocate Bilibid in Occidental Mindoro and transfer minimum security inmates to Nueva Ecija.

Prisons expert and criminology professor at Southern Illinois University Carbondale Raymund Narag also recommends the regionalization of prisons because this means the facilities will be more manageable and will decongest the mega prisons. Regionalistic groups inside Bilibid would also be abolished because the national penitentiary has been divided into these groups that causes division among PDLs. – Rappler.com