It’s a Muslim prayer area not drug convict’s “house” says BuCor

New Bilibid Prison (Monzonda / Wikipedia)

MANILA – The alleged two-storey property inside the maximum security of the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) is a prayer area for Muslim convicts and not a property of drug lord Amin Buratong.

According to the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor), the property is not being used to provide special treatment to Buratong.

Based from their investigations, the report is incorrect.

“It’s a big misunderstanding. We have already submitted the results of our investigation to Justice Secretary Leila de Lima. As reported, the property is being occupied by imams. It’s used for prayer,” said BuCor Director General Franklin Bucayu on Friday during the launch of the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act No.

10575 or the BuCor Modernization Act of 2013.

De Lima said, “All the allegations are false. Based on initial investigation, it’s being used as a prayer area for the Muslim inmates, an intended area for Muslims. I will have it verified.”

Bacayu also noted that the inmates at NBP are denied in a “four-walled town” facility and not jail.

Meanwhile, he also said that he already met with the “prison leaders” who, in turn, promised to cooperate with the officials in maintaining the order among the inmates.

One of the main problems inside the facility remains to be congestion.

Currently, the facility is house to more than 24,000 inmates when its ideal capacity is only good for 9,000 prisoners.