Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, November 30) — Some 300 to 500 persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) could be released by the end of 2022, according to Bureau of Corrections officer-in-charge Gregorio Catapang.
“Estimate po namin 300 to 500 na medyo lower end na estimate. As much as 500 to 700 ang gusto naming mapalaya this end of the year bago mag Pasko o New Year,” Catapang said on Wednesday during a Laging Handa briefing.
[Translation: We estimate 300 to 500 [PDLs] and this is a lower estimate. We want to release as many as 500 to 700 by the end of the year before Christmas or New Year.]
BuCor’s facilities face a major congestion problem. As per BuCor data from October 2022, it hosts 50,141 inmates across seven prisons.
BuCor facilities have a collective average occupancy rate of 413%, and a congestion rate of 313%.
“Parang tripartite agreement ng DOJ, DOH, at DND, mga 3,000 [PDLs] ang made-decongest sa amin,” he said. “At the same time, pag nag decongest na, meron din kaming papalayain na hopefully 300 [PDLs].”
[Translation: It’s like a tripartite agreement between the DOJ, the DOH, and the DND, about 3,000 PDLs will be decongested. At the same time, when we do decongest, we can hopefully release 300 PDLs.]
Its main facility, the New Bilibid Prison (NBP), holds 29,204 inmates even though it was originally built to house 3,000, according to the BuCor. The NBP has a 354% congestion rate and a 454% occupancy rate.
“Yung NBP, super congested so kailangan talaga magpalaya tayo, yung mga qualified naman po,” added Catapang, a retired general who earlier served as chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
[Translation: The NBP is super congested so we need to release inmates, the qualified ones.]
