Bilibid Inmates Allowed to Order Food Online, BuCor Chief Says
BuCor chief Gregorio Catapang Jr. clarified that Bilibid inmates are allowed to order food, but his statement has sparked reactions online.
On Monday (July 31, 2023), Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) Director-General Gregorio Catapang Jr. disclosed that persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) held at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa City, Philippines, are permitted to order food online.
Unfortunately, his statement sparked controversy due to the risk of contraband or illegal drugs being concealed inside the delivered food packages.
Catapang admits that there have been instances where a pack of cigarettes was hidden within a pack of spaghetti. In another situation, a pack of illegal drugs was discovered within a food pack.
“Totoo po ‘yon. Nangyari po ‘yan. May nag-order ng spaghetti [from a fast-food restaurant]. Pina-inspect ko, isiningit do’n sa loob ng spaghetti ang isang kaha ng sigarilyo,” he said.
However, the official clarified that all food deliveries are left at an outpost within the NBP for inspection.
The BuCor chief explained that inmates have the right to order food, which is part of the Mandela prison reform model, and understand their pitiful situation inside the facility. He stressed that PDLs have the right to order food and suggested that limiting this privilege would not align with the principles of reform.
“Hindi po kasi karapatan nila umorder ng pagkain e… Kasama po ‘yan sa Mandela prison reform,” Catapang claimed.
Catapang defended the action even further by citing the NBP’s overcrowded situation. The prison was constructed to hold a maximum of 6,000 PDLs but now contains around 30,000 convicts.
Previously, a correction officer was arrested for smuggling cigarettes in Bilibid prison
He argued that offering some leeway in the form of food orders is a small way to alleviate the challenging circumstances faced by the inmates.
“Kawawa po talaga kaya bigyan mo rin sila ng kalayaan nila,” he added.
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