President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has called for transformative solutions to jail congestion in the country, urging the Justice Sector Coordinating Council to embrace modern, novel, and innovative approaches to the problem.
In a message to the JSCC during the National Jail Decongestion Summit on Wednesday, Marcos said solving the challenges faced by persons deprived of liberty requires "thoughtful and comprehensive courses of action that require a thorough understanding of the complexities within our justice system."
"This summit, therefore, is a crucial moment for us to not only develop more effective policies but also to initiate transformative undertakings that can expedite the processing of criminal cases and address the prevailing problem of jail congestion," he said.
He urged summit participants to envision a far-reaching justice system with regard to PDLs.
"Let us strive to envision a justice system that goes far beyond traditional approaches to embrace modern, novel and innovative solutions," he said.
Lasting reforms
The President expressed confidence the JSCC discussions would lead to positive and lasting reforms that will help bring about the "Bagong Pilipinas" (New Philippines) that he aspires to.
Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said congestion in corrections and detention facilities compromises the very essence of the reformation system.
Remulla, in his message delivered by Justice Undersecretary Raul Vasquez, said, "The systematic challenges ripple across the criminal justice system and unduly transgress the basic human rights" of PDLs.
"Today, however, we have a unique opportunity, an opportunity to pioneer innovative approaches to decongest our jails and prisons, review the reintegration process, and improve and develop our justice system in ways that are not only efficient but also compassionate," Remulla said.
The summit will serve as a convergence point for policymakers, corrections practitioners, justice sector professionals, academics and civil society representatives, Remulla noted.
It aims to decongest jail facilities with the help of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes, as well as GOJUST (Governance in Justice), which funded the two-day event.
Disease spread
The jail facilities of the Bureau of Corrections under the DoJ and the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology of the Department of the Interior and Local Government have an average congestion rate of almost 400 percent.
Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri, in his speech at the start of the summit, asserted that the deplorable conditions in prisons across the country are not conducive to reforming PDLs.
He pointed out the risks associated with overcrowding, including prison violence and the unchecked spread of diseases, exemplified by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Zubiri referenced the enactment of Republic 11928, known as The Separate Facility for Heinous Crimes Act, which mandates the establishment of three "supermax prisons" for high-level offenders — one in Luzon, another in Visayas, and a third in Mindanao.