Pimentel says PH must build one ‘world class’ maximum security prison

FILE PHOTO: Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III. (Screengrab / PRIB)

MANILA, Philippines — Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III proposed on Wednesday the construction of a “world-class” maximum security prison in the country.

Pimentel said the country should have only one modernized maximum security prison because regionalizing it would be “impractical.”

“If it’s a maximum security prison, then let’s make it a world-class maximum security prison in the sense na (that) the security features in that prison should be modern,” he said during the Senate committee on justice and human rights hearing.

“Ngayon (Now), since this will be a state-of-the-art maximum security prison, I believe that we should only build one kasi (because) it would be impractical to regionalize state-of-the-art world-class maximum security prisons,” he added.

Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla agreed with Pimentel’s idea.

“I agree that we should only build one maximum security prison that is really meant to house all those who should be in a facility of this nature,” the chief of the Department of Justice said.

In a span of 20 years, around 400 prisoners have escaped the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City, Remulla noted. Hence, he is pushing for the relocation of the penitentiary.

READ: 3 inmates escape from New Bilibid Prison’s maximum security compound

Remulla likewise raised that the Bilibid’s maximum security prison is congested.

READ: Bilibid ‘killers’: Disease, congestion claim 5K inmates yearly

“Right now, there are 17,000 people in the maximum security area of the Bilibid, which is designed to house only 7,000 people. It’s really overpopulated now,” the chief said.

He, however, assured senators that the figure will be slashed with the implementation of the good conduct, time allowance law and decongestion program, among others.

READ: With revised rules for GCTA, law enforcers now can never go wrong – Palace

KGA