The second batch of persons deprived of liberty (PDL) from the National Bilibid Prisons in Muntinlupa, Metro Manila arrived in Puerto Princesa City last Sunday night aboard a commercial vessel and were immediately brought to Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm.
The PDLs consisting of 400 males and 50 females were part of the group that were transferred by the Bureau of Corrections to different penal farms across the country with the aim of decongesting and subsequent closure of the NBP and the Correctional Institute for Women (CIW) in Mandaluyong City. The two facilities will then be converted by the Bureau of Corrections into a business hub, Director General Gregorio Pio Catapang, BuCor chief said.
IPPF spokesperson CTO II Levi Evangelista said 396 were brought to the minimum security compound and four were placed at the maximum security compound of the Central Sub-Colony in Barangay Iwahig, while the 50 females were brought to the Correctional Institution for Women in Brgy. Sta. Lucia. He added that some PDLs are from Palawan who requested to be transferred to Iwahig to be closer to their families.
Aside from IPPF, PDLs were also shipped to Sablayan Prison and Penal Farm in Occidental Mindoro and Davao Penal Colony. To date, more than 1,500 PDLs have been transferred.
The first batch of PDLs consisting of 450 male and 50 females were transferred to IPPF last June which was personally overseen by Catapang and other high ranking BuCor officials.
