Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 5)— The government is eyeing to convert the mega drug rehabilitation center in Fort Magsaysay, Nueva Ecija into another Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) prison facility, authorities said Friday.
In a statement, BuCor confirmed that officials—including Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla—visited and inspected the Mega Drug Abuse Treatment Rehabilitation Center “for possible expansion of facilities.”
In a separate message to reporters, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said the move aims to decongest the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa.
“We want to address the congestion problem in NBP in order to provide humane living conditions to the prisoners,” the DOJ said.
“Maganda sa Fort Magsaysay dahil may existing na drug rehabilitation doon. Either medium or minimum security prison ang ilalagay doon.”
[Translation: Fort Magsaysay is a good place because there is an existing drug rehabilitation center there. So we’ll place either a medium or minimum security prison there.]
The DOJ noted the plan still has to be discussed with the Health and Defense departments, which “have a stake at the rehab facility now.”
The 100,000-square meter rehab facility—which can house up to 10,000 patients—opened in 2016 with help from a ₱1.4-billion donation from Chinese businessman and philanthropist Huang Rulun.
