MANILA — The chief of Bureau of Corrections is confident he will be able to close down the state penitentiary by 2028.

According to BuCor Director General Gregorio Catapang Jr., all of New Bilibid Prison's close to 30,000 inmates will be transferred to regional prison facilities in 5 years’ time.

The congested NBP in Muntinlupa City will be converted into a commercial hub.

• New BuCor chief to replace hundreds of guards in maximum security prison with female corrections personnel

"The last prison and penal farm was established in 1973.... That was 50 years ago. That was how long the Bureau of Corrections has been forgotten," Catapang told ANC's "Rundown" Monday.

"Fifty years of mismanagement, of no infrastructure development and then, I now have a very tall order to turn it around in 5 years’ time.

"I'll do that by closing down the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa and then I'll convert that into the new BuCor Global City. I'll be leasing maybe more than 50 percent of the lot there," he added.

• Inmates na nasa minimum at medium security compound ng Bilibid, planong ilipat sa mga probinsya

Catapang said this year he aims to transfer to facilities in Davao, Leyte and Palawan around 7,500 inmates from minimum and medium security compounds.

He will also ask Congress some P5 billion budget for the relocation and replication costs.

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