ACT-CIS Party-list Rep. Erwin Tulfo (File photo)
MANILA – ACT-CIS Party-list Rep. Erwin Tulfo on Thursday urged his colleagues to revisit the existing operations manual of the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor).
Tulfo made his call after finding out in a congressional hearing that some inmates inside the maximum security compound of the New Bilibid Prisons (NBP) are still enjoying excessive privileges.
During Thursday’s House Committee on Public Order and Safety hearing, Tulfo asked BuCor officials, led by Director General Gregorio Catapang Jr., if some NBP inmates are enjoying excessive privileges, including ordering food from outside the detention and too many visiting hours.
“Narinig nyo naman, kayo na ang nagsabi kanina na ang nagpapatakbo ng NBP ay mga drug lord dahil sabi ni Gen. Catapang sa isang prouncement sa newscast na mga PDL (persons deprived of liberty) na foreigner, Chinese, Korean ayaw kumain ng ulam ng New Bilibid dahil siguro ang ulam tuyo, galunggong o munggo. E gusto mag-order ng mga noodles, gusto ng hamburger (You have heard already that you said a while ago that drug lords are the ones running the NBP because Gen. Catapang said in a newscast pronouncement that the PDLs who are foreigners -- Chinese, Korean -- don’t like to eat viands being served in the New Bilibid maybe because these are dried fish, galungong [blue mackerel scad] or mongo. And they want to order noodles, hamburger),” Tulfo said.
Retired Senior Inspector Angelina Bautista, NBP superintendent, confirmed that the privileges raised by Tulfo were part of the BuCur operations manual.
“I would suggest na kailangan siguro nating i-revisit yung manual ng Bureau of Corrections para makita po natin ang sinasabi ng opisyal na ito. Kasi para pong hindi na tama. Sobra naman hong napakaraming privileges (I would suggest that perhaps we need to revisit the manual of the Bureau of Corrections to find out what this official was saying. Something is wrong. Their privileges are quite too much,” Tulfo manifested during the panel hearing.
“It would appear life is better inside rather than outside (the prison), he added. (PNA)
