BuCor creates task force on transferring Bilibid to address congestion —DOJ exec

The Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) created a task force to transfer New Bilibid Prison (NBP) to address high congestion rate in the national penitentiary, a Department of Justice (DOJ) official said Sunday. 

On Super Radyo dzBB, Justice Undersecretary Deo Marco said "tentatively" the BuCor is looking into moving the NBP to a mega prison in Nueva Ecija.

"Ngayong administrasyon na ito, gumawa na si (BuCor) Director General (Gerald) Bantag ng isang task force o committee para pag-aralan ito. Nakapag-submit na sila sa DOJ ng kanilang proposal. Ito ngayon ay under serious consideration ng DOJ. May mga offers from third party kung saan lilipat. Tama po kayo, tentatively po sa Nueva Ecija pero under study pa rin ito," said Marco, when asked about the transfer of NBP to Nueva Ecija mega prison.

(Under this administration, BuCor Director General Bantag created a task force or committee to study this. They submitted their proposal to DOJ, and this is under serious consideration. There are offers from third parties as to where to transfer [NBP]. Tentatively, it will be moved to Nueva Ecija but it is still under study.)

Marco also said the talks to transfer NBP will be fast-tracked because the DOJ is also coordinating with Malacañang on the matter.

Also, Marco said a bill seeking to establish separate jail facilities in areas with high crime rate is also pending in Congress.

"Sabay ginagawa 'yang transfer ng NBP at mayroong pending na panukalang batas para magkaroon ng separate facility na medyo mataas ang crimes na na-commit," he said.

(We are both acting on it, the NBP transfer [and] at the same time there is a bill  pending on seeking to create a separate jail facility in areas with an increase of crimes committed.)

In 2019, detained Senator Leila de Lima suggested constructing a mega prison facility in Nueva Ecija to address the worsening congestion in NBP.

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

Last week, the BuCor reported that four inmates escaped from the national penitentiary. Of the number, two were killed while two are still being hunted.

The superintendent and five guards in the maximum security compound of the NBP have been relieved from their posts due to the January 17 jailbreak. —KG, GMA News