ANOTHER batch of 500 persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) from the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa City arrived yesterday at the San Ramon Prison and Penal Farm (SRPPF) in Zamboanga City.
BuCor Director General Gregorio Pio P. Catapang Jr. said that of the 500 transferred inmates, 147 were from the maximum-security camp, 153 from the medium security camp, and 200 from the Reception and Diagnostic Center.
The prisoners were escorted by 150 Corrections Officers composed of BuCor SWAT, medical personnel and augmentation from the Philippine National Police Patrol and Armed Forces of the Philippines.
“The transfer of persons deprived of; Liberty to various operating and prison farm nationwide is part of BuCor’s program to address overcrowding in the NBP and in preparation for the eventual closure of the correction facility in 2028,” Catapang said.
The BuCor has been moving inmates from the NBP to its other prison and penal farms located outside of Metro Manila as part of its program to decongest the national penitentiary, which is currently accommodating over 28,000 prisoners in a facility built to hold only 9,885 PDLs.
Aside from the NBP and the Correctional Institute for Women in Mandaluyong City, the BuCor also operates the penal farm in Zamboanga City, the Davao Penal Colony, Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm in Palawan, Sablayan Prison and Penal Farm in Occidental Mindoro and the Leyte Regional Prison in Southern Leyte.
The NBP and the other operating prison and penal farms of BuCor nationwide hold over 52,000 inmates, although their total capacity is estimated at only 12,000, or an average congestion rate of 231 percent.
The BuCor has set a target to transfer over 15,000 Bilibid inmates to its provincial facilities this year.
Last October 12, the agency also transferred 100 Bilibid inmates to its Sablayan penal facility.
Data provided by BuCor showed that from January to October this year, some 6,670 Bilibid inmates have been moved out of the national penitentiary.
Meanwhile, Catapang said the Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm recently held the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of a P272.1 million new facility that can accommodate 500 women inmates.
“This state-of-the-art facility will feature a two-storey, type ‘B’ dormitory building designed to accommodate 10 inmates per cell,” the BuCor chief said.
The facility will be equipped with a main perimeter concrete fence complete with catwalks, stairs, post towers, and individual comfort rooms.
It will also include provisions for a main sliding steel gate, secondary perimeter fence and solar light.
