Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 28) — The New Bilibid Prison (NBP) will no longer accept new inmates or persons deprived of liberty (PDLs), the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced on Friday, in a bid to decongest the national penitentiary in Muntinlupa City.
\”We are putting a moratorium on the entry of new prisoners to the New Bilibid compound and we will just bring them to other jails available to other prisons available,\” Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said in a press briefing.
\”We will stop increasing the population in the NBP. Mababawasan ‘yan, pero hindi na yan madagdagan (The population will go down but will no longer go up),\” he added.
Remulla also said the moratorium on new inmates will also help lessen prison fights.
\”Ang point of view namin dito ay simple lang: wag mo na i-inculturate sa isang masamang kultura yung taong pwede mong iiwas mo na,\” he explained.
[Translation: Our point of view here is simple: you can prevent someone from being exposed to an already toxic culture.]
The Bureau of Corrections on Thursday lifted the red alert inside Bilibid. It was raised following separate commotions that left one inmate killed and several injured.
The DOJ said it is coordinating with the Department of the Interior and Local Government for the use of local jail facilities.
\”Hopefully, matulungan kami ng mga local government officials with local government units with provincial jails,\” Remulla said. \”Para yung mga sentensyado ng less than six years ay pwede nila i-accommodate.\”
[Translation: Hopefully, local government officials of local government units with provincial jails can help us. So they can accommodate those who are sentenced for less than six years.]
