THE Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) is considering the establishment of 13 additional regional facilities, along with two more sites for inmates convicted of heinous crimes.
BuCor director general Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr. said the proposed facilities would help BuCor move toward a more equitable and effective correctional system.
“The time to act is now; for a just and rehabilitative correctional system to thrive, proactive measures must be taken to bridge the existing gaps,” Catapang said in a statement.
He said his vision was in line with the Bureau of Corrections Act of 2013, which mandates the establishment of regional facilities, and the Separate Facility for Heinous Crimes Act, which provides for the establishment of separate facilities for heinous crimes.
Currently, BuCor said it only operates in five out of 19 regions in the country, namely in the National Capital Region, Mimaropa, Eastern Visayas, the Zamboanga Peninsula, and the Davao Region.
Catapang cited the need to establish BuCor’s presence in the Cordillera Administrative Region, the Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, the Bicol Region, Western Visayas, Central Visayas, Negros Island Region, Northern Mindanao, SOCCSKSARGEN, Caraga, and the Bangsamoro Region.
Meanwhile, Catapang said BuCor has started setting up a super maximum facility in Sablayan, Occidental Mindoro.
