BuCor to transfer 10,000 Bilibid inmates to other facilities

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February 13, 2026 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines —  Up to 10,000 inmates at the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa will be transferred to other prison facilities this year as part of efforts to decongest and eventually close the NBP, the Bureau of Corrections said yesterday.

BuCor Director General Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr. said there are around 22,000 inmates at the NBP.

Bureau records show that the NBP had 20,999 inmates as of December 2025. The figure is almost triple the facility’s capacity of 7,098.

The inmates will be transferred to BuCor facilities in Davao City, Leyte, Occidental Mindoro, Palawan and Zamboanga City, Catapang said.

He expressed hope that the NBP would be cleared of prisoners by 2028.

A “supermax” or “super maximum security” facility at the Sablayan Prison in Occidental Mindoro for those who committed heinous crimes is currently in the works.

Catapang said only two inmates would be detained in each cell.

He said those who would be convicted over anomalous flood control projects may be brought to the Sablayan Prison.