Rep. Brian Raymund Yamsuan of the Bicol Saro party-list expressed support for the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) proposal to unify the operations of the country’s penal institutions, calling it a “step in the right direction” for decongesting overcrowded detention facilities and transforming them into centers of rehabilitation for persons deprived of liberty (PDLs).
Yamsuan praised the proposal, stating it would improve efficiency and accountability in managing the country’s correctional system. He stressed that the current fragmented system needs urgent reform to prevent worsening living conditions for PDLs and alleviate the burden on jail officers.
The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) oversees the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), which manages city, district, and municipal jails, while the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) supervises facilities for those with longer sentences. Yamsuan believes merging these two agencies would streamline operations and ensure better resource allocation.
Yamsuan, a former assistant secretary of DILG and advocate for correctional reform, emphasized that the merger would lead to better living conditions and more effective rehabilitation programs for PDLs. He also noted that combining the agencies would improve case monitoring to prevent unnecessary detentions beyond prescribed terms.
BuCor Director Gen. Gregorio Catapang Jr. revealed the DOJ’s plan to merge BuCor and BJMP at the 2nd ASEAN Regional Correctional Conference.