Some 459 inmates were transferred from the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) to the Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm (IPPF) in Puerto Princesa on Saturday for the descongestion of the maximum security compound, the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) has announced.
BuCor Director General Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr. mentioned that 1,254 persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) were transferred to another operating IPPF, reporting that the inmates safely arrived, but the one diagnosed with hypokalemia was transported through an ambulance.
According to Catapang, transporting prisoners to Iwahig, Puerto Princesa, from Metro Manila was initiated to minimize the overcrowding problem in NBP while waiting for the budget to construct regional correctional facilities.
He also reported that the manpower needed for the Reformation Initiative for Sustainable Environment (RISE) for the Food Security project in Iwahig will be addressed by the recent transfer of inmates.
Catapang explained that the BuCor already released 5,327 inmates and admitted an average of 7,823 per the data shown, saying that the PDL population will continuously grow at steady rates, which will make regionalization a very potential solution.
