Bilibid troublemakers being ‘shipped’ to Mindoro supermax prison

FILE: Bureau of Corrections in Muntinlupa (Photo by Monzonda at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0)

MANILA – The transfer of persons deprived of liberty (PDL) tagged as “troublemakers” at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa City to an isolated supermaximum security prison in Mindoro Island is ongoing, Bureau of Corrections (Bucor) chief Gregorio Catapang Jr. said Friday.

Catapang said 500 PDLs have been moved to Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm in Palwan while another 500, so-called hardened convicts, were sent to the Sablayan Prison and Penal Farm in Occidental Mindoro on Thursday.

“’Yung mga mababait, naglipat ako ng 500 sa Iwahig. ‘Yung mga pasaway (troublesome), nilipat ko naman sa Mindoro 500 ulit kasama ang mga babae,” he said in a radio interview over DZBB.

Early this year, the design of a 2,500-bed penal facility in the Sablayan supermaximum jail was approved.

Catapang added that the isolated areas have no cellular signals.

“Opo kasi ‘pag nasa bundok kayo, wala kayo signal doon tapos may sarili kayong selda, magkakahiwalay. ‘Yung mga tumatakas doon, bumabalik din kasi sabi nila, ‘Sir, mamatay kami dito sa bundok, maliligaw kami.’ Hindi po kami pumapayag maglagay ng cell sites (They have no signals in the mountains. They have separate detention cells. Those who escape opt to return because they fear they would just die out there. We won’t allow cell sites there),” he said.

Meanwhile, Catapang said government agents are keeping an eye on the last known address of Michael Catarroja, the NBP inmate who was discovered missing last month.

“Kung nandoon na siya ibig sabihin nakatakas siya. Baka may kontak sila. Ongoing po ‘yung ating investigation. Naka-stake out po ‘yung mga tao natin doon. Hopefully magbalik na siya sa preso (If he is there it means he escaped and may have contacts with relatives. We are on a stakeout there. Hopefully he will be returned to custody),” he added.

Catarroja has already served four years of a 10-year sentence for car theft.