There are 37,000 inmates held at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) and various colonies of the Bureau of Corrections. Many of them have served their sentences and are overstaying due to the ineptitude of prison officials.
Many more are entitled to liberty by virtue of the newly enacted Republic Act No. 10592 which, however, could not be implemented until its IRR (implementing rules and regulations) shall have been adopted. RA 10592 itself provides that the IRR should be promulgated within 60 days from the law’s signing on May 27, 2013. The 60th day was reached on July 29, 2013, without the IRR being promulgated.
Don’t the prison officials realize that it is punishment enough to be jailed and, worse, to remain in jail beyond one’s sentence? Not only the inmates but more so their families suffer from the injustice. Meanwhile, the prison officials enjoy their liberty with their own families. This is only one of the many problems besetting the NBP.
When will the Bureau of Corrections ever get on the job?
—ANTHONY PANGILINAN,
Kamias, Quezon City