BY JEFFREY DAMICOG
Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra appealed Thursday for more budget allocation for the medical facilities of the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor).
“I am hoping that during the budget deliberations, I don’t know if it still possible, na sana at least on the medical facilities inside BuCor ay magkaroon ng some additional allocations,” he said during an online Malacanang press briefing.
Guevarra expressed dismay over the decision of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to slash the budget of BuCor, an attached agency of the Justice department, for next year.
With the additional budget for BuCor medical facilities, the Justice Secretary inmates will no longer be to be taken outside penal facilities for treatment.
“Hindi na kailangan pa ilabas ang ating mga inmates na may mga medical needs,” he said.
“Na doon na lang mismo sa loob ang mga basic medical treatment,” said Guevarra who expressed security concerns in transporting prisoners who have to be taken to outside medical facilities.
Guevarra assured that the BuCor and the Department of Justice (DoJ) are doing to their part to address the COVID-19 pandemic.
“They (BuCor) have really put the necessary quarantine facilities there,” he said.
“They hired more medical personnel to attend to the needs of the PDLs doon sa kanilang NBP Hospital inside,” he added.
On the part of the DoJ, Guevarra said the department has issued the Interim Guidelines for Parole and Executive Clemency which took effect just last May.
“Mas kokonti na ang hinihinging requirements at mas maiksi na panahon ang ginugugol para sa processing ng ganitong mga applications,” said the Justice Secretary.
