Bureau of Corrections Director General Gregorio Pio P. Catapang Jr. assured Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda yesterday that despite congestion and overcrowding in facilities for persons deprived of liberty, they will not construct jails on its legally owned 270-hectare lot in Masungi Georeserve in Tanay, Rizal.

"But detachment for forest rangers will have to be built to secure the lot under our jurisdiction and we have an (sic) obligations and responsibilities in the conservation of the area as part of national heritage and we are one with the Filipino people in preserving our natural resources,” Catapang said.

Catapang said there are 20 to 30 hectares out of the 270 hectares “vacant spaces” at the lower section of the Masungi that can be used for this purpose without disturbing the landscape of the area.

“The bureau with proper coordination with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources will also conduct delineation survey sometime next month but do not misconstrued (sic) this to anything because we only want to determine the meets and bounds of BuCor Property that we need to secure,” Catapang explained.

The 270 hectare property in Masungi was awarded to the BuCor when Proclamation No. 1158 was signed in 2006 by then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

This should be the location of the New Bilibid Prison, including the plan to relocate the BuCor national headquarters as part of the proclamation, but Catapang postponed the idea pending further study of the project.Catapang assured the senator that the BuCor, with the guidance of Justice Secretary Crispin Remulla, is committed not to use the Masungi property for any purpose that will adversely affect the ecology and sustainability of the area.

by Alvin Murcia, reprinted with permission from the Philippine Daily Tribune; photo credit Coconuts Manila