Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla at the Mega Drug Abuse Treatment Rehabilitation Center in Nueva Ecija. (Photo from DOJ)
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Justice (DOJ) is planning to convert the Mega Drug Abuse Treatment Rehabilitation Center (MDATRC) in Fort Magsaysay, Nueva Ecija into another detention facility under the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor).
“We want to address the congestion problem in NBP (New Bilibid Prison) in order to provide humane living conditions to the prisoners,” DOJ Spokesperson Atty. Jose Dominic Clavano told reporters Friday.
The NBP is the largest prison facility managed by the BuCor, housing 28,900 inmates, including more than 17,000 in its maximum security compound. Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla earlier said the congestion rate at NBP is at 330 percent.
“Maganda sa Fort Magsaysay dahil may existing na drug rehabilitation doon (Fort Magsaysay is a good place because there is an existing drug rehabilitation [center] in that area),” Clavano said.
Clavano said they are looking at the possibility of transferring the persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) currently detained at the medium and minimum security compounds of NBP to MDATRC.
However, Clavano said they still have to coordinate with the Department of Health (DOH) and the Department of National Defense (DND) because the two agencies currently have a stake at the rehabilitation facility.
On Thursday, Remulla, together with BuCor Director General Gerald Bantag conducted an ocular inspection at the MDATRC. They were accompanied by Maj. Gen. Andrew D. Costelo, the commander of the Seventh Infantry Division of the Philippine Army.
Clavano said Bantag is determined to improve the BuCor facilities and push the decongestion strategies for the PDLs.
The MDATRC was built on a 75,000 hectare land at Fort Magsaysay. It has the capacity to host around 10,000-bed facilities.