The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) is extending its support to the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) for transporting inmates and implementing searches for contraband not only at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) but also at its other penal colonies in a bid to enhance security measures within the prison system.
PCG spokesman Rear Admiral Armand Balilo mentioned in a report that while the current collaboration focuses on NBP in Muntinlupa, there is potential to broaden assistance to include other facilities, including the Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm (IPPF).
Balilo highlighted that the PCG is willing to contribute additional personnel and resources to BuCor’s Operation Greyhound, involving surprise inspections for contraband.
This could involve the deployment of trained canines from the PCG’s K-9 unit and utilizing ships or helicopters for inmate transportation.
The PCG’s offer accompanies a request to use three hectares of the proposed government center at the NBP reservation for constructing its headquarters.
Balilo expressed the PCG’s readiness to assist BuCor regardless of the approval status of this request.
“Any time they need us, we are ready to help, even if the three hectares that we are requesting have not yet been approved. Even if the plan to build a PCG headquarters in the government center does not materialize, for us, that would not be a problem. We will help them in whatever way we can,” Balilo said.
While BuCor has committed to allocating three hectares of NBP land for the PCG’s headquarters, further discussions and studies are required to finalize the agreement.
Balilo commended BuCor chief Gregorio Catapang for his support but acknowledged the need for comprehensive studies to determine feasible parameters.
The timeline for the realization of this collaboration remains uncertain, but Balilo assured that the PCG is diligently pursuing its request to contribute to the overall security and efficiency of the prison system.
