Issues surrounding Bilibid prison and Bureau of Corrections

Bureau of Corrections chief Gregorio Catapang tells Senate committees their plan to relocate its headquarters to the Masungi Georeserve is "held in abeyance pending further studies" on environmental impact. 

Catapang says: "Most importantly, the 270 hectares of land awarded to BuCor pursuant to Presidential Proclamation No. 1158 as the site of the New Bilibid Prison will no longer push through, including the plan to relocate its national headquarters to this site will be held in abeyance pending further studies to be undertaken taking into consideration the impact on the environment with the construction of BuCor facilities in the area." 

Senate panels are conducting a legislative inquiry into the planned transfer of BuCor headquarters to the environmental reserve under Masungi. — Xave Gregorio

Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon says the Bureau of Corrections should disclose the causes of death at the New Bilibid Prison, saying these are not covered by the Data Privacy Act.

"In fact, upon any person's death, there is a requirement to execute a death certificate which is a public document," Drilon says.

"Disclosing information about a prisoner’s death is not a protected information under the Data Privacy Law, " Drilon said, adding: "The fact that a person is dead is not contemplated by the law."

Corrections chief Gerald Bantag confirms that some Persons Deprived of Liberty have died of COVID-19 in the country's prisons, but says "as much as we want to inform the public with respect to the names of PDL who died due to COVID-19, the Data Privacy Act prohibits us from doing so."

He adds "rest assured that the Bureau of Corrections is doing its best to address this pandemic."

The statement comes amid reports that high-profile convicts, including witnesses against detained Sen. Leila de Lima, have died.

Igorot prisoners at the maximum security compound of the New Bilibid Prisons in Muntinlupa are worried for their safety, relatives say, citing they are worried prisoners may get the ire of some of the inmates affected by the ongoing demolition led by Bureau of Corrections Director General Gerald Bantag.

Bantag traces his roots to Mountain Province.

"Good afternoon, what is happening now here at the maximum compound of the New Bilibid Prisons is alarming. The demolition is now on its third day. And because Director Bantag is an Igorot, our fellow inmates are angry at us because we are Igorots," a message in Ilokano shared by one of the relatives says.

Relatives of prisoners also stated that their kin, especially the elderly, have no place to sleep as their shanties were demolished.  They are complaining that they have no food to eat, potable water and medicines. -- The STAR/Artemio Dumlao

Officials report an explosion at Quadrant 4 of Bilibid's Maximum Security Compound at around 10 a.m. while demolition of illegal structures is ongoing at Quadrant 1.

The bomb disposal and K9 team of the National Capital Region Police Office immediately responded to check the area and found that the cause of the explosion was an improvised explosive device.

The bomb disposal team are now searching the area for a possible secondary explosive device. Initial investigation showed that the explosion site was occupied by "violent extremist offenders."

Monitor controversies and news updates on the New Bilibid Prison and the Bureau of Corrections.