Bato says bigger budget can solve BuCor problems

FILE: According to tot he former PNP CHief, he spent his first days studying, assessing, and evaluating the situation in NBP to know what things were needed to be done (Photo: Philippine National Police/Facebook)

On his first two days of heading the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor), former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief-turned-BuCor chief Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa said that a bigger budget could solve their problems in the New Bilibid Prison (NBP).

“In my two days na (of) stay sa BuCor, wala pa akong nakikitang solusyon, ang nakikita ko puro problema. Ang daming problema (I have not seen any solution yet, all I see are problems. There are a lot of problems),” he said in an interview with ANC on May 9, Wednesday.

According to the former PNP Chief, he spent his first days studying, assessing and evaluating the situation in NBP to know what things were needed to be done.

“Pero isa lang talaga pinakamalaking solusyon dito…. Pera. Budget. Kung meron tayong kaya ng gobyerno (But if there is really one solution… it is money. Budget. If we have the budget that can be provided by the government),” he added.

If the BuCor was given the budget, a proposed plan by dela Rosa is to push through with the mega prison facility in Fort Magsaysay, Nueva Ecija that did not materialize in the past administration due to budget concerns as well.

Dela Rosa, in the same interview, also noted some concerns involving the access road beside the wall of the maximum security compound, as the general public passes through it because of housing projects.

While he could close down the said access road, the BuCor chief noted that it will enrage the public for they will have nowhere to pass through.

He said that guards had no problem during daytime, but this was not the case during the evening when it is dark.

“Naglalakad ‘yung tao doon, pa-simple lang, [hinahagis] ‘yung black sack [papunta sa loob ng maximum security compound]—may lamang cellphone, sigarilyo, mga contraband (Someone walks [near the wall], then throws in a black sack containing a cellphone, cigarettes, or other contraband),” dela Rosa said.

He added that during mornings, personnel making rounds in the perimeter wall find the black sacks.