If the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) and Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) push through with the merger of prison facilities, the Department of Justice (DOJ) is ready.

Justice Undersecretary Ian Norman Dato said the DOJ is ready to assume responsibility for a unified prison system if Congress approves the proposed merger of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) and the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor).

Dato said the DOJ supports the goal of having a unified prison system and is prepared to take on the additional mandate.

He said Secretary Frederrick Vida believes that a unified prison system is the objective and agreeing on the operational control is a step in that direction.

Dato said that if ever the call or judgment is made, the DOJ stands ready to carry thE mandate with the resources that come with it.

The proposal was raised by Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla, who urged Congress to consider placing the BJMP under the DOJ and merging it with BuCor.

The BJMP is currently under the Department of the Interior and Local Government, while BuCor is under the DOJ.

Earlier, BuCor Director General Gregorio Catapang Jr. voiced full support and brought the unification proposal in early July 2025.

Catapang initially detailed the DOJ’s concrete plan for a potential merger during the 2nd ASEAN Regional Correctional Conference held in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan.

In January 2026 Catapang championed the integration at the Second National Jail and Prison Decongestion Summit, reiterating that a unified framework falls under the core policy directions of the administration.

The merger proposal gained renewed traction when Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla advocated to fast-track the transfer of the BJMP under the DOJ, prompting the DOJ to formally announce that they are fully prepared to take over the unified operations.