Prison facility for heinous crimes to rise in Occidental Mindoro, says Catapang

Gregorio Catapang Jr. FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines–The country’s first prison facility for heinous crimes will be built in Occidental Mindoro, Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) acting Director General Gregorio Catapang Jr. said.

Under Republic Act 11928 or the Separate Facility for Heinous Crimes Act, the creation of three heinous crimes facilities is required to be built–one in Luzon, one in Visayas, and another in Mindanao.

“This will be a maximum colony where everything is monitored. Lahat high-tech, top of line technology-driven facility that will not allow gadgets, contact with outside people,” he told reporters.

He added that the heinous crimes facilities will be constructed in such a way that contraband cannot be smuggled inside.

Catapang met with Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla and presented his BuCor Development for 2023 to 2028.

Remulla earlier called the heinous crimes prison a “supermax” prison facility that will house around 2,500 inmates.

The target start of the construction is within the year.

In the United States, a supermax prison is a separate facility that houses most hardened criminals and those that cannot be controlled by other means.

Under RA 7659, heinous crimes include treason, piracy and mutiny on the high seas in Philippine waters, qualified piracy, qualified bribery, parricide, murder, infanticide, kidnapping and serious illegal detention, robbery with violence against or intimidation of persons, destructive arson, and rape.

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JPV