DOJ drops plan to build mega prison in Nueva Ecija

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Justice (DOJ) has has decided to scrap the plan to construct a P150-billion mega penitentiary in Laur, Nueva Ecija.

Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II yesterday said the DOJ will instead erect additional buildings in existing penal colonies and might put up a new regional penal facility in either Ilocos or Pangasinan. 

The government scrapped the plan of building a mega penitentiary in Nueva Ecija because it would cost the government P150 billion over a span of 20 years and will be required to allocate an initial sum of P50 billion. 

“The principal objection why the (penitentiary) in Nueva Ecija was scrapped was because of the inconveniences that would be experienced by the relatives of the detainees who would visit them all the way from the Visayas and Mindanao,” he said. 

“But if you will spread them out (in the regional penitentiaries), then it would be easy to visit them,” he added.

The mega penitentiary in Nueva Ecija was supposed to be a public-private partnership (PPP) project and was intended to accommodate around 26,000 prisoners.

Prisoners from the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa City and the Correctional Institution for Women (CIW) in Mandaluyong City were supposed to be transferred to the mega facility in Nueva Ecija to decongest the NBP and CIW.

Since the project to construct the mega prison already has three bidders, Aguirre said the government will have to pay the penalties for scrapping the project.

The government will instead establish additional buildings in the NBP, CIW and penal colonies in Mindoro, Davao, Palawan, Zamboanga and in Leyte.  Prisoners who would be housed in these buildings are those convicted and have received a sentence of not less than three years in prison.

Aguirre estimated that the construction of each building will cost around P600 million, which will be taken from the P2.2-billion budget provided by Congress to the DOJ.

He also assured the public that proper bidding procedures will be followed.

The simultaneous construction of new penal facilities will start next year and is expected to be completed in two years.