New PDLs will no longer be detained at NBP –Remulla

Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla on Friday said new persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) would no longer be detained at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP).

“We will just bring them to the other jails available, the other prisons available. We will stop increasing the population in the NBP. Mababawasan ‘yan pero hindi na ‘yan madadagdan,” Remulla said in a media briefing.

“‘Wag mo na i-enculturate sa isang masamang kultura ‘yung taong pwede namang i-iwas mo na. Let’s try to spare them from the travails of having to go through an institution like the NBP,” he later added.

(You should not enculturate a person to a bad environment if possible. Let’s try to spare them from the travails of having to go through an institution like the NBP.)

Remulla said new PDLs could instead be brought to the Sablayan Prison and Penal Farm, the San Ramon Prison and Penal Farm, the Davao Prison and Penal Farm, and the Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm.

The Justice Secretary said the moratorium took effect immediately, although he would still write a letter to Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) chief Director General Gregorio Catapang Jr.

“So that he can tell the courts that it is already a policy of the DOJ not to bring anybody else into the NBP,” said Remulla, adding that they would also be coordinating on the matter with the Department of the Interior and Local Government.

“Hopefully, we can listen na— matulungan kami ng mga local government officials with the local government units and provincial jails para yung mga sentensyado in less than six years ay pwede nila i-accomodate para hindi na muna natin dalhin sa NBP,” he said.

(Hopefully, we can listen— the local government officials with the local government units and provincial jails can help us so that those sentenced to less than six years may be accommodated, so they will not be brought to NBP.)

Remulla previously bared that there could be mass graves inside the NBP.

“Yung kasayasayan na binibigay sa amin ng mga testigo, ng mga tiga loob ay mukhang matagal nang nangyayari ito. May mga gangs na merong proclivity na pwedeng mag libing ng tao sa septic tank,” he said.

(The culture that the witnesses told us seems to have been going on for a long time. There are gangs with a proclivity to bury individuals in the septic tank.)

Rules of the game

Meanwhile, international criminal justice expert and consultant Dr. Raymund Narag said there was a transmission of culture from one PDL to the next.

“‘Yung culture na yan dapat lahat ng PDLs, lahat ng personnel alam nila yung culture and merong certain rules of the game na kinakailangan mong sundan kung ikaw ay PDL para mag survive ka sa Bilibid,” he said.

(There is a culture that all PDLs and all personnel should know, and there are rules of the game that you need to follow in order to survive in Bilibid.)

“Nagiging crimenologic yung culture dahil unang-una, meron mga inmates na wala namang alam na kalokohan sa labas, doon na sila natututo sa loob. At ‘yun ‘yung dahil sa matinding structural deficits na nangyayari,” he added.

(The culture has become crimenologic because there are inmates who did not behave like criminals outside the prison but will learn this kind of behavior inside. And this is because of the huge structural deficits that are taking place.)

According to Narag, the country’s prison structure must be fixed.

“Kaya ang panawagan natin ay sana, maintindihan ng ating taong bayan na kailangan natin ng budgetary support para maipatayo natin ‘yung small, regional prisons,” he said.

Meanwhile, Catapang said BuCor jail guards were also being re-evaluated following a July 25 incident in which a PDL fired a gun after two members of the Batang City Jail and Bahala Na Gang had a misunderstanding.

“Sa akin ang tingin ko it’s a challenge to my leadership. May mga tao diyan na ayaw ako mag succeed. Tignan niyo may manifesto ngayong araw na ito na nilabas ang mga leader,” he said.

According to the BuCor, the PDLs, in their manifesto, asked for forgiveness following the incident and expressed their regret. They also promised to maintain peace and order and to police their own ranks. — DVM, GMA Integrated News