Catapang: BuCor eyeing release of 500-700 PDLs before year end

The Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) is eyeing the release of up to 700 persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) from various prisons and penal farms before the end of the year, officer-in-charge Gregorio Catapang said Wednesday.

Catapang said they are planning to release 300 to 500 PDLs at the minimum. 

“Pero as much as 500 to 700 ang gusto namin mapalaya this end of the year. Bago mag Pasko o bago mag New Year,” Catapang said during the public briefing.

(But we want to release as many as 500 to 700 this end of the year. Before Christmas or before the New Year.)

He said they are also seeking to release elderly PDLs.

“May batas naman po na ‘pag 70 years old up ka, puwede ka mag-apply for parole or clemency so sa dami po ng mga PDLs natin na 65 to 70 years old above… eh balak po namin na i-apply po sila,” Catapang said. 

(There’s a law that states that when you are 70 years old and above, you can apply for parole or executive clemency. So we are planning to apply our PDLs that are 65 to 70 years old and above)

According to Catapang, all penal colonies, including the New Bilibid Prison (NBP), are currently “super congested.”

When asked about the agency’s plans to decongest NBP, he said P300 million were released to penal colonies for the construction of new buildings.

Catapang said the buildings being constructed can hold 1,000 to 1,5000 PDLs.

“So kung pagsamasamahin ninyo po ‘yung tatlong colonies na nabigyan ng P300 million para mag-construct ng bagong building, more or less mga 4,000 po ‘yun na pwedeng pag lipatan ng mga inmates natin dito sa NBP,” he said.

(So if you add the three colonies that were given P300 million to construct new buildings, more or less that’s 4,000 inmates from NBP that may be transferred.)

Around 70 PDLs are also set to be buried on Friday, according to Catapang.

Meanwhile, he declined to comment on former Justice Secretary and now Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra saying that full control of BuCor should be returned to the Department of Justice.

“Wala po ako comment doon kasi high-rank po yan. Sumusunod lang po ako kung anong kautusan. For now, ang utos sa akin ni SOJ, decongest, segregate, and them implement reforms sa BuCor,” he said.

(I don’t have any comment on that because that’s for the high ranks. I only follow the orders. For now, SOJ ordered me to decongest, segregate, and then implement reforms at BuCor.) — RSJ, GMA Integrated News