Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III on Friday pushed for sweeping reforms in the country’s corrections system as the Senate deliberated on the budget of the Department of Justice’s Bureau of Corrections (BuCor).

He raised alarms over the severe overcrowding, inadequate health services, limited livelihood opportunities, and the urgent need for stronger reintegration programs for Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDLs).

Citing BuCor data, Sotto reported that the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa, designed for only 5,678 inmates, currently houses 21,996 PDLs, or nearly four times its intended capacity.

The Correctional Institutution for Women (CIW) faces a similar problem, accommodating 2,940 inmates despite a capacity of just 1,280.

In response, DoJ budget sponsor Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian said plans are underway to decongest the facilities by establishing regional prison complexes.

Regional jails

“They are planning regional prisons so that not everything is concentrated in one place,” Gatchalian said.

Sotto welcomed the move and pushed for broader regionalization.

“That’s why we want that — let’s also remove the Muntinlupa facility. Let’s make it regional, or divided into Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao,” he said, citing studies showing that the absence of regular family visitations often drive inmates toward gangs or misconduct.

The Senate President also flagged the limited medical support for PDLs.

Gatchalian noted that the daily medical allowance has been increased from P15 to P20, and that PDLs are covered by PhilHealth, according to BuCor Director General Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr.