NOTING the difficulty and risks to security inside the country’s state penitentiary, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla disclosed that he would desiriously work for the transfer of the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) from Muntinlupa City to the island province of Occidental Mindoro.
“If possible, the maximum security should be transferred to a place far away so they will not cause any trouble . . . We don’t want them mixing with the population,” the concurrent Senior Deputy Majority Leader of the Lower House and newly designated justice chief pointed out.
“Just the other day, someone was caught with shabu inside the Bilibid. That is just one example to show that we have a problem. If such trade can enter the prison, what will happen to our security as a people?” Remulla added.
He likewise disclosed that he has already visited the Sablayan Prison and Penal Farm in Occidental Mindoro, which would be ideal for the transfer as it can accommodate around 10,000 maximum security prisoners, mist of whom are now currently at the NBP.
However, while he aims to work towards the speedy transfer of the NBP in his first 100 days in office, he also acknowledged that “it will take time” and a (hefty) budget to do so.
Still, he stressed that “Muntinlupa should no longer be the jail that it used to be.”
