IPINASASAMA ni House Deputy Speaker at CIBAC Rep. Bro Eddie Villanueva ang pagtatayo ng mga bagong kulungan sa COVID-19 recovery plan upang matugunan ang siksikan sa mga piitan.
“Especially that a “new normal” conduct of living which includes social distancing and strict adherence to proper hygiene is expected to be observed at all facets of communal living, uncrowding our prison facilities is a must to make sure our jails will not be hotbeds or epicenter of infections in its communities and that our persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) will be protected from contracting COVID-19 or any communicable disease for that matter,” ani Villanueva.
Sinabi ni Villanueva na matagal ng problema ang siksikan sa kulungan na hindi natutugunan ng gobyerno.
“The problem of our terribly crammed full jails is an overdue assignment on the part of the government,” dagdag pa ng solon. “This problem deserves no less than the serious attention and funding plan of the government.”
Ayon sa Bureau of Corrections (BUCor) ang pitong penal farm nito ay may average na congestion rate na 314 porsyento o mahigit tatlong ulit ng kapasidad nito ang nakakulong.
Pinakamalaki umano ang congestion rate sa New Bilibid Prison (353 porsyento), Mindanao Correctional Institute for Women (467 porsyento) at Davao Prison and Penal Farm (388 porsyento).
Ayon naman sa Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) ang 467 municipal, city at district jails ay may average na congestion rate na 438 porsyento.
“Though they are offenders of laws and must be penalized according to our justice system, life for our PDLs (persons deprived of liberty) is not yet over and there is always the ever-present opportunity for change of life. Yes, they are deprived of liberty but they must not be denied of dignity and right to health, sanitation and humane environment. We must obey God’s admonition in giving respect to the dignity of human life. As long as they are alive, there is always a ray of hope for them to be recrafted as productive members of our society again,” paliwanag ng kongresista.