Mega prison in Nueva Ecija to solve congestion in Bilibid —De Lima

Detained Senator Leila de Lima on Saturday renewed her call for the construction of the mega prison facility in Nueva Ecija, claiming that this would solve the "worsening" congestion in the New Bilibid Prison (NBP).

“I appeal, most fervently, to all concerned government officials to seriously consider this infrastructure plan that will decisively address the proverbial issue of overcrowded jails, which is the root cause of different problems hounding the NBP,” De Lima said in a statement.

The "state-of-the-art" prison facility will be constructed inside the Fort Magsaysay Military Reservation for Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDLs).

According to the statement, the facility is envisioned to accommodate 25,000 inmates, including staff housing, administrative buildings, and areas for rehabilitation installed with high security equipment.

It will also provide for proper classification of the PDLs based on risk and needs, while those convicted for heinous crimes will be in a separate maximum security facility, the statement added.

The project, however, was abandoned by the Duterte administration for its high cost expenses and the "inconvenience" which will be experienced by the detainees.

“If the plan pushes through, inmates at the NBP and the Correctional Institution for Women will be moved to a facility with modern security and correctional features – a step closer towards helping inmates rebuild their lives,” De Lima said.

“Prison should be a place for inmates to rehabilitate and improve their lives, and not the other way around. Ang mga bilanggo, tulad ng bawat Pilipino sa bansang ito, ay may karapatan din para sa makataong pagtrato,” she added.

De Lima filed Senate Bill (SB) Nos. 180 and 181, to be known as “Prison Reform Act of 2019,” and the “Unified Corrections and Jail Management System Act of 2019,” which seeks to introduce reforms in the country's prison and correctional systems.

The project had already reached the pre-qualification stage at the time of exit of the previous administration, the statement said. — Joahna Lei Casilao/MDM, GMA News