By Benjamin Cuaresma
MANILA — Families of political prisoners appealed to the Department of Justice (DOJ) on Friday to stop transferring their detained relatives to far-flung prison facilities, warning that the move would effectively sever family ties and make regular visits financially and physically impossible.
The appeal was made by Kapatid, an organization of political prisoners and their families, which submitted a formal letter to acting Justice Secretary Fredderick Vida as the government proceeds with the closure of the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa City.
The Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) has been relocating Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDLs) to prisons and penal farms in Occidental Mindoro, Palawan, and Zamboanga City under its prison decongestion and regionalization program.
Kapatid spokesperson Fides Lim said the majority of political prisoners have families living in Metro Manila, Calabarzon, and the Bicol Region, making long-distance prison transfers a heavy burden on their loved ones.
While the group supports BuCor’s regionalization policy, Lim said the transfers must comply with the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, or the Mandela Rules, which recognize the importance of housing inmates as close as possible to their families.
“The state, through the Bureau of Corrections and the Department of Justice, should respect the Mandela Rules by placing prisoners near where their families live,” Lim said.
According to Kapatid, 10 political prisoners have already been transferred to other correctional facilities, while 45 more remain at the NBP and are expected to be relocated in the coming months.
Among those pleading with the DOJ was Liza Arambulo of Laguna, who said moving her husband to a distant prison would deprive their family of precious opportunities to visit and provide for his daily needs.
She said that even with her husband currently detained in nearby Muntinlupa, financial hardships already limit her ability to visit regularly, making a transfer to a remote facility even more difficult.
As of July 2026, BuCor said it has transferred 16,530 Persons Deprived of Liberty to various prisons nationwide since 2022 as part of its continuing correctional reforms and the phased closure of the New Bilibid Prison.
ia/xf
