BuCor: Cashless policy to stop corruption, prison drug trade

Manila: The Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) on Friday defended the policy on cashless transactions by persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) and their relatives, following issues raised by party-list lawmakers during the agency's budget hearing. During the budget hearing Thursday, Gabriela Rep. Arlene Brosas and ACT Rep. France Castro cited the alleged policy of imposing 2 percent deductions on all incoming cash transactions for PDLs on top of the service deductions through GCASH, LBC, dalaw or paabot, as well as outgoing cash transactions. 'The cashless policy being pilot-tested at the minimum compound of the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa City and Correctional Institution for Women (CIW) in Mandaluyong City was meant to finally address and eradicate the perennial problems of corruptions, prohibited drugs transactions and other forms of illegal activities with the use of cash money inside prison camps,' Bucor Director General Gregorio Catapang Jr. said in a news release. Under the cashless system launch ed in February this year, PDLs will be given passbooks for depositing funds, which they can use to buy at the Inmate Post Exchange IPX), and to monitor their transactions. To determine the viability of the IPX cashless system, the BuCor entered into an agreement with a service provider subject to the 3.5 percent BuCor share on generated revenue through pilot testing for the management and operations of CIW IPX until the publication of Memorandum Circular on BuCor IPX through Cashless Transactions, or until the determination of the most qualified service provider. The breakdown of the 3.5 percent is 1 percent from Gcash, and 2.5 percent from the value of goods to be brought inside prison camps for sale at IPX. This 3.5 percent is the BuCor share of whatever income generated by the service provider for doing business inside prison facilities and for the use of utilities, and it is deposited to Fund 184 and goes directly to the National Treasury in accordance with Sec 6(b)(2) of the revised Implementing Rules and Regulations of Republic Act 10575 otherwise known as Bureau of Corrections Act of 2013. Catapang said as of July this year, the service provider has remitted PHP709,697, complete with receipt. BuCor said the pilot implementation of e-payments was lauded during the hearing by Senior Minority Leader Joseph Stephen Paduano who said it is 'the right direction in minimizing, if not totally eradicating, corruption inside BuCor.' Paduano said reports reaching his office showed that the cash carried by relatives of PDLs can be easily deducted by jail guards, prison cell leaders and prison gangs. 'Though there are really complaints, the whole picture is that e-payment is really better because if their families, for example, send PHP2,000, sometimes only PHP1,000 reaches them because it passes through a lot. But if it's an e-payment, it goes directly to them,' he said. 'In my own opinion, that is OK, but if there is still corruption in that particular system, then we have to fix the system, but as a whole, I t hink we are seeing a much better system,' he said. Meanwhile, Justice Secretary Jesus Remulla and Catapang vowed to investigate the complaints raised during the budget hearing and to furnish the committee with the result of their investigation. Source: Philippines News Agency