FORTY-FIVE political prisoners detained at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) have appealed to the Department of Justice (DOJ), the Commission on Human Rights (CHR), and human rights advocates to stop their planned transfer to regional penal colonies, saying the move would endanger their health, sever family ties, and undermine their rehabilitation.
The appeal comes as the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) presses ahead with its plan to relocate inmates from the New Bilibid Prison ahead of the facility’s scheduled closure in 2028.
In a petition submitted to Justice Secretary Frederick Vida, Kapatid said all 45 political prisoners signed a formal request to remain at the NBP, citing humanitarian, medical, and legal concerns.
In a separate open letter addressed to the DOJ, the Commission on Human Rights (CHR), human rights advocates, relatives, and supporters, the detainees said they fear the transfer would uproot lives they have rebuilt during years — and for some, decades — of imprisonment.
The inmates said the relocation is tied to the government’s plan to redevelop the 375-hectare NBP Reservation into an integrated commercial and industrial complex, with revenues earmarked for the modernization of BuCor facilities nationwide.
According to the prisoners, BuCor began transferring inmates to regional prisons and penal farms in 2024 and aimed to complete the relocation before the NBP closes in 2028.
The detainees argued that moving them to distant penal colonies would cut off regular family visits, disrupt access to lawyers and humanitarian groups, and interrupt rehabilitation programs that have been in place for years.
Kapatid said the planned transfer would hit vulnerable inmates the hardest, noting that 12 of the 45 signatories are senior citizens while 18 are suffering from chronic illnesses that require continuous medical attention and family support.
The group also questioned BuCor’s justification for the relocation, saying transferring inmates to regional penal colonies already operating beyond their intended capacity merely shifts overcrowding, instead of resolving it.
Kapatid further urged the DOJ to investigate alleged rights violations during prison transfers, including inadequate notice, forced shaving, and the confiscation or abandonment of prisoners’ personal belongings, legal documents, bedding, and other essential items.
Instead of relocating inmates, the group called on BuCor to fast-track the release of elderly, seriously ill, time-served, and overstaying persons deprived of liberty on humanitarian grounds.
Kapatid also urged the government to keep prison lands dedicated to correctional and rehabilitation purposes rather than commercial development, saying correctional policies should prioritize human dignity, family unity, and the welfare of persons deprived of liberty.
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