Catapang proposes transfer of certain BJMP inmates to BuCor

Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) Director General Gregorio Catapang Jr. on Thursday proposed the transfer of persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) serving jail terms of three years or less in Bureau of Management and Jail Penology (BJMP) facilities to BuCor.
 

Interviewed on the sidelines of the National Jail Decongestion Summit at the Diamond Hotel in Manila, Catapang said his proposal covers the transfer of BJMP detainees with a sentence of three years and below to BuCor facilities.

“During the briefing, sinabi nila na mataas ang recidivism nila. So I was telling [BJMP chief Ruel Rivera] na baka kulang sa reformation,” Catapang said.
 

(The briefing said that recidivism is high. So I was telling BJMP chief Ruel Rivera that maybe there is a lack of reformation.)
 

A fundamental concept in criminal justice, recidivism is the tendency of a convicted criminal to relapse into criminal behavior. 

 

“We will recommend na kapag na sentensyahan na kahit three years and below malipat na rin sa BuCor para ‘yung recidivism problem ma-address and ‘yung reformation talagang makatulong sa kanila. So that they’ll not be going back and forth. Jail and then back to society,” Catapang proposed.

 

(We will recommend that individuals sentenced to three years and below should be transferred to BuCor so that we can address the recidivism problem and that reformation can help them. So that they won’t be going back and forth. Jail and then back to society.)

Catapang said he believes his proposal will benefit the general public.

“Kasi kung mag co-commit sila ulit ng crime, e ‘di kawawa naman ‘yung mga maaapektuhan, masasaktan nila,” he said.


(If they commit another crime, it would not be good for the victims who will be hurt by their actions.)


According to Catapang, BJMP facilities currently hold around 13,000 PDLs serving sentences of less than 3 years and below. He said the transfer will not lead to more decongestion on the part of BuCor since the creation of jail facilities is ongoing.
 

“Hindi naman (not at all). Continuously naman ‘yung pag-papagawa namin ng kulungan (the construction of detention facilities is continuous),” he said.

As of November, BuCor data showed that its prison and penal farms nationwide have a PDL population of 51,862, far exceeding their capacity of 12,272.
 

The National Jail Decongestion Summit, top officials from various government agencies and diplomats have gathered to address the congestion in the country’s prisons and penal facilities.


Catapang said he has yet to talk with Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla regarding his proposal.

“Ngayon pa lang. Kaya nga maganda itong summit na ito. Of course, they have to wrap it up, and then whatever good points that were taken up here, pagsama-samahin natin and then, of course, we can bring our recommendation up to the president,” the BuCor chief said.
 

(It's only now. That’s why this summit is good. Of course, they have to wrap it up, and then whatever good points that were taken up here, we will compile them, and then of course we can bring our recommendation to the president.)
 

According to Catapang, BuCor has released a total of 10,010 PDLs from July 2022 to December 2023.

When asked about the direct effects or changes from the summit, Catapang said more PDLs will be released even as convictions will decrease.
 

“Marami na mapapalaya, marami nang hindi makukulong. And then, of course, marami na tayong facilities na mapapagawa para ma address natin ‘yung decongestion,” he said.
 

(More PDLs will be released while fewer individuals will be convicted. And then, of course, we will build more facilities to address decongestion.) —RF, GMA Integrated News