Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) director general Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr. has said the cashless policy being pilot-tested at the minimum security compound of the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa City and at the Correctional Institution for Women (CIW) in Mandaluyong City was meant to ultimately resolve the perennial problems of corruptions, prohibited drugs transactions, and other forms of illegal activities using cash inside penitentiaries across the country.
Catapang issued the statement to address the concerns of Gabriela party-list Rep. Arlene Brosas and ACT party-list Rep. France Castro during the budget hearing Thursday afternoon.
The two lawmakers cited cash transactions for the prisoners, also called persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) on top of the service deductions through GCash, package delivery services, and visitations, as well as outgoing cash transactions.
The BuCor chief said since he assumed office, he has been very transparent was always open to suggestions and new ideas.
Catapang also addressed the complaint reaching Brosas’ office claiming that majority of the PDLs were opposed to cashless transactions, and that their opposition was being ignored by the BuCor administration.
Catapang explained that implementation of the cashless and automated system was not based on the readiness of BuCor and the inmates in general, but rather on the political will of the present leadership to implement and managed policy changes to eradicate once-and-for-all the corruptions perpetrated with the use of money.
On the memorandum of agreement entered into in December 2023 by BuCor with Rica Ana Trading for operations/management of CIW and the NBP Post Exchange (IPX) through cashless transactions, Carandang said the same was cancelled the following month as BuCor already had an existing agreement with RON810 Trading for the management and operations of the NBP IPX, which renders the MOA entered into with the former extraneous and unenforceable.
Nonetheless, Rica Trading was given the option to continue to fill-up the vacuum created by the expiration of contract with the previous service provider at CIW in order to determine the viability of the IPX cashless system at the institution, subject to a 3.5-percent BuCor share on generated revenue through pilot testing for the management and operations of CIW-IPX until the publication of Memorandum Circular on BuCor IPX through Cashless Transactions or until the determination of the most qualified service provider.
This 3.5-percent is the BuCor’s share of whatever income is generated by the service provider for doing business inside prison facilities and for the use of utilities, and it is deposited to Fund 184 and goes directly to the National Treasury in accordance with Sec 6(b)(2) of the revised Implementing Rules and Regulations of Republic Act 10575 otherwise known as Bureau of Corrections Act of 2013.
Catapang also disclosed that under Section 6 of the IRRs of RA 10575 aside from administrative purposes, all BuCor lands shall be used for inmate security, reformation programs, and as means to promote sustainability, both for income and non-income generating programs, with or without partnership among NGOs, civic organizations or other government entities.
Catapang bared that as of July this year, Rica Ana Trading has remitted to BuCor P709,697, complete with receipt.
Abang Lingkod party-list Rep. Joseph Stephen Paduano praised Catapang for the pilot implementation of e- payments, as this is the right direction in minimizing if not totally eradicating, corruption inside BuCor.
Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla and Catapang vowed to investigate the complaints raised by Brosas during the budget hearing, and to furnish her and the committee with the result of the investigation to be conducted.
