Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) Director General Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr. on Thursday denied the request of former Bamban, Tarlac mayor Alice Guo and two others to temporarily remain in the quarantine area for another 55 days.
The quarantine period for Guo, as well as co-accused Jaimielyn Cruz and Rachelle Joan Carreon, ends today since they were transferred from the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) to the Correctional Institution for Women (CIW) in Mandaluyong City last December 6.
Catapang directed CIW corrections technical superintendent Marjorie Ann Sanidad to execute the immediate transfer of Guo, Cruz and Carreon to a regular dormitory at the Reception Diagnostic Center (RDC).
The detained personalities will undergo the mandatory orientation, diagnostic and classification in accordance with the established procedures and protocols.
Catapang explained that after completing the 60-day process at the RDC, they will be transferred to their assigned regular dormitory at the Maximum Security Camp, considering that they were sentenced to life imprisonment.
As newly committed persons deprived of liberty, the 55-day assessment period following the five-day quarantine is very important to help determine their psychological and physical needs, as this information will be used by the institution to create an individualized treatment plan or program, Catapang said.
He added that the RDC provides orientation programs and educational sessions aimed at helping new inmates adjust to the correctional environment while understanding their rights and the facility’s rules.
Guo and her two companions, in a letter dated December 7 addressed to Catapang through Sanidad, requested that they be allowed to temporarily remain in the quarantine area of the CIW even after the mandatory five-day quarantine.
The trio appealed that they be given enough time to adjust to and reflect on the new environment of the CIW before they joined with other inmates, saying the time they spent in the female dormitory has greatly affected their emotional and mental well-being, in addition to the heavy burdens of public and malicious accusations being thrown against them.
Sanidad also recommended the denial of their request.
