ON the eve of the country’s 126th Independence Day celebrations, more than 100 inmates from the New Bilibid Prison and other prison facilities operated by the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) regain their freedom.
BuCor Director General Gregorio Catapang Jr. said the release of the 126 prisoners brings to 14,324 the number of persons deprived of liberty released since the start of the administration of President Marcos Jr. in 2022.
Last month, 592 inmates were also able to regain their freedom.
Of the 126 inmates released, 11 were from the Correctional Institution for Women (CIW) in Mandaluyong City, five from CIW in Mindanao, 22 from Davao Prison and Penal Farm, one from Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm, eight from Leyte Regional Prison, 34 from the NBP’s maximum security compound, 18 from the medium security compound, six from the minimum security compound, three from the NBP Reception and Diagnostic Center, eight from Sablayan Prison and Penal Farm, and 10 from San Ramon Prison and Penal Farm.
Of the said number, Catapang said 31 were released due to acquittal, one for conditional pardon, 72 for expiration of maximum sentence, six were granted probation, and 16 were given parole.
Last month, Catapang said BuCor is targeting the transfer of 15,000 Bilibid inmates to its prison and penal farms in the provinces this year.
He earlier said the transfer of the Bilibid inmates is a “stop-gap” measure in alleviating overcrowding in the national penitentiary while the agency is waiting for funding for the construction of regional correctional facilities as part of its medium and long-term development and modernization plan.
The NBP and BuCor’s six other operating prison and penal farms hold over 50,000 inmates, although their total capacity is only around 12,000, or an average congestion rate of 310 percent.
The national penitentiary alone currently holds 25,886 inmates, though originally it only had a 6,000 capacity when it was built.
The government is planning to turn the 350-hectare NBP complex into a government center, open park and mixed-use land by 2028.
