1,000 prisoners moved to Iwahig, Sablayan

MANILA, Philippines — Around 1,000 prisoners in the New Bilibid Prison (NBP), including high-profile murderers and drug lords, have been transferred to the Iwahig and Sablayan prison and penal farms as part of the efforts of the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) to decongest the national penitentiary.

In a radio interview, BuCor Director-General Gregorio Catapang Jr. said 500 were transferred to the Sablayan prison and penal farm in Occidental Mindoro, which is considered a “supermax” facility.

Another 500 prisoners were transferred to the Iwahig prison and penal farm in Palawan.

Catapang said the ”good” inmates were transferred to Iwahig while the ”troublemakers” were sent to Sablayan.

He said he gave an “ultimatum” to the prisoners to surrender their illegal paraphernalia and other belongings.

Catapang gave assurance that the high-value prisoners transferred to Sablayan would not be able to escape. He said the prison is on a mountain where there is no cell service.

He noted that those who attempted to escape returned, saying they got lost in the mountain.

In a statement, the BuCor said among those transferred to the Sablayan prison and penal farm are 171 Chinese.

The BuCor said more inmates would be transferred within the year as construction of new facilities in Davao, Iwahig, Leyte and San Ramon prison and penal farms will be finished this year.

Catapang said drug lords who were affected by the transfer could be behind recent controversies affecting the NBP.

Apart from the transfer of prisoners, Catapang said he reduced the amount of money that a person deprived of liberty can get through virtual wallets from P2,000 to P1,000.

The move, he said, came after senators asked him to fix the NBP.

The Senate and House of Representatives have launched separate investigations on issues hounding the NBP, including the case of inmate Michael Cataroja, who has been missing since July 15, and alleged mass graves in the national penitentiary.