BuCor chief Catapang calls Bilibid ‘worst supermax prison’

Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) Director General Gregorio Catapang Jr. has described the National Bilibid Prison (NBP) as the “worst supermax prison.”

In Saleema Refran’s report on “24 Oras”, Catapang shared the problems of the penitentiary after decades of neglect.

“We are the worst supermax prison. Unmanageable and lacking facilities. Below, below standard tayo. Nakahihiya man sabihin but that is the situation now,” he said.

(It’s embarrassing to admit but that’s our situation.)

“Sinisingil na tayo ng pagpapabaya natin kasi 50 years na nakalimutan,” he added.

(We’re paying for neglecting the facility in the last 50 years.)

The national penitentiary has a maximum capacity of only 6,000 but it currently houses 30,000 PDLs, according to the BuCor chief.

“Hindi naman sila maipasok lahat sa selda. Gabi na, 'yung nasa labas sila natutulog, nahahamugan lalo na ngayon pag umulan tuloy-tuloy. Walang patid,” he said.

(We cannot let them all inside. Some of them sleep outside the detention facilities.)

To help the PDLs, Catapang said they were allowed to order food online through a communal laptop but correction officers are keen on confiscating contrabands.

“Sa mahal ng bilihin, pagkain, 'yung P70, hindi ka mabubusog. 'Yung iba masyadong enterprising, doon sinisingit ang sigarilyo, sinisingit 'yung shabu. Nahuhuli naman namin,” he added.

(Food prices are rising, you can barely eat with P70 so we let them order online. But others were enterprising, they are using the opportunity to smuggle cigarettes or shabu. We confiscate them.)

Meanwhile, the BuCor chief said they are set to submit a special report to the Department of Justice (DOJ) on Tuesday regarding the decapitated body found in a septic tank inside the NBP, the recent cases of violence inside, and the excavation of the second septic tank which they will check with the help of forensic experts from the University of the Philippines.

“May mga evil-minded na PDL na gustong sirain ang samahan natin dito and then may mga correctional officers na scalawag na ayaw rin magbago,” Catapang said.

(There are evil-minded PDLs and correctional officers who are still scalawags.) —Sundy Locus/NB, GMA Integrated News