A PROPOSED bill that seeks to establish a separate facility for “high-level offenders” passed second reading at the House of Representatives.
House Bill 10355 or the “Separate Facility for High-Level Offenders Act” was approved via a viva voce voting at the plenary.
The bill seeks to ensure that high-level offenders who may be considered as threats to the safety of other inmates, correctional officers and staff, will not be able to sow chaos or any form of criminal activity while their sentences are being prepared.
The bill is also seen to strengthen the mandate of the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) when it comes to “safekeeping” and reform of all prisoners.
Once enacted into law, the separate facility will be for high-level offenders based on what the BuCor Director General will identify as “high risk” or “high profile.”
It said the facility for high-level offenders should be located in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, and should be far from the general population and other inmates, like in military establishments or even in a separate island away from the mainland.