Dela Rosa: Gov’t must recognize ‘sad state’ of PH corrections system

Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, Senate PRIB file photo / Albert Calvelo

MANILA, Philippines — The government needs to recognize the “sad state” of the country’s corrections system, Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa said on Monday.

Dela Rosa, a former chief of the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor), said that the agency was called “latak ng lipunan” or dreg of society during his time.

“Ang bottomline diyan is ‘yung ating correction program dito sa Pilipinas ay kailangan talaga na bigyan pansin ng gobyerno.

(The bottom line is our correction program in the Philippines needs attention.)

“Nung ako’y hepe ng BuCor ay assessment ng gobyerno sa BuCor, sa correction system ng Pilipinas ay parang bang sabi nila: ‘Latak ng lipunan ‘yan, bakit mo pagtuunan ng pansin?’” he shared to reporters in an interview.

(When I was BuCor chief, the government had assessed BuCor, of the Philippines’ correction system as: “It is just dreg of society, why would we focus on that?”)

Dela Rosa lamented that the corrections system got a small fund with health and education as the government’s priority.

“Kawawa. ‘Yan ang sad state ng ating corrections system sa Pilipinas,” he said.

(It is pitiful. That is the sad state of the corrections system in the Philippines.)

Dela Rosa spoke out after the confessed gunman in the killing of broadcaster Percy Lapid admitted that the kill order came inside the New Bilibid Prison (NBP).

BuCor runs the NBP in Muntinlupa City.

For Dela Rosa, Bilibid drug lords could still commit crimes with visitors’ help.

But once the state-of-the-art maximum security prison is built, their illegal operations will stop. Incidents may, however, decrease once the state-of-the-art maximum security prison is built, he said.

“Hanggat hindi mo sila ma-deny ng visitation rights, meron pa ring mangyayari,” Dela Rosa added.

(As long as you cannot deny them visitation rights, there could be instances of erring actions.)

“‘Yung mga drug lord gumagawa pa rin ng paraan through visitation. Hindi mo man sila ma-deny ng visitation rights nila kasi human rights nila ‘yan,” he said.

(Visitation can help drug lords. Human rights prohibit denying visits. )

JPV/abc