BuCor opposes SC writ of kalayaan

The Bureau of Corrections on Thursday expressed its opposition for the passage of writ of kalayaan being proposed by the Supreme Court's Committee on Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law in addressing jail congestions and sub-human prison conditions in the country.

The proposed writ of kalayaan stated it will be a continuing order that those in charge of the custody of the persons deprived of liberty to comply with the court-sanctioned plan to rectify or improve the substandard or inadequate conditions of prison facilities within a reasonable time and if not met, an order will be issued for the release of the PDL, either through bail, recognizance or probation, following the order of precedence until the facility have been brought to a humane level.

Based on the position paper signed by BuCor director general Gregorio Catapang Jr. submitted to the committee chaired by SC Justice Marvic M.V.F. Leonen, it disclosed that the problems of congestion is now being addressed by the Bureau on the basis of the passage of two laws — the RA 10575, otherwise known as the Bureau of Corrections Act of 2013 which provides for the modernization, professionalization and restructuring of the BuCor and RA 11928 which provides for the establishment of a separate facility for PDLs convicted of heinous crimes.

The BuCor also said that in line with the Department of Justice plan, formulated a five-year Development and Modernization Plan 2023-2028 to build regional prison facilities to decongest and modernize the existing penal institution and accommodate the increasing number of PDLs committed to the agency.

The Plans and Program of the BuCor to decongest the state penitentiary include the creation of the Regional Prison and Penal Farms in all the regions of the country except NCR.