Establishment of Seven Regional Prisons

October 25, 1972

PRESIDENTIAL DECREE NO. 28

ESTABLISHING SEVEN REGIONAL PRISONS AND CONVERTING EXISTING NATIONAL PENAL INSTITUTIONS INTO REGULAR PRISONS AND PENAL FARMS, APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

WHEREAS, there were pending before Congress prior to the promulgation of Proclamation No. 1081, dated September 21, 1972, certain priority measures vital to the establishment and maintenance of peace and order throughout the land;

WHEREAS, one of these priority measures is a bill, entitled "An Act Establishing Seven Regional Prisons and Converting Existing National Penal Institutions Into Regular Prisons and Penal Farms, Appropriating Funds Therefor, And For Other Purposes; "

WHEREAS, this measure offers a positive solution to the problems bred by our overcrowded national prisons and perpetuated by an integrated system of confinement of various types of felons, irrespective of whether they are incorrigibles or merely first offenders;

WHEREAS, this bill will reduce the incidence of escapes among the national prisoners and promote their rehabilitation by bringing prisoners and their families and friends closer to each other: casia

NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by the Constitution as Commander-in-Chief of all the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and pursuant to Proclamation No. 1081, dated September 21, 1972, and General Order No. 1, dated September 22, 1972, as amended, and in order to effect desired changes and reforms in the social, economic and political structures of our society, do hereby decree that House Bill No. 4385, entitled "AN ACT ESTABLISHING SEVEN REGIONAL PRISONS AND CONVERTING EXISTING NATIONAL PENAL INSTITUTIONS INTO REGULAR PRISONS AND PENAL FARMS, APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES," is hereby adopted and approved, and made part of the law of the land: Provided; That there shall be immediately established, in lieu of the number and location of the penal establishments created thereunder, one regional prison in each of the following provinces and area: Leyte, Pangasinan and North-eastern Mindanao. cd

This decree shall take effect immediately: Provided: That amendments, changes and modifications may be made by me and the same shall take effect after my announcement thereof or by my duly designated representative.

DONE in the City of Manila, this 25th day of October, in the year of Our Lord, Nineteen Hundred and Seventy-Two.

ATTACHMENT

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H. NO. 4385

AN ACT ESTABLISHING SEVEN REGIONAL PRISONS AND CONVERTING EXISTING NATIONAL PENAL INSTITUTIONS INTO REGULAR PRISONS AND PENAL FARMS, APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

SEC. 1. There are hereby established regional Prison and Penal Farms in the Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Bicol Region, Eastern Visayas, Western Visayas, Mindoro and Mindanao in addition to the existing penal institutions which are hereby converted into said type of penal institution. The Director of Prisons shall establish centers in each Prison and Penal Farm for the proper classification and assignment of prisoners.

SEC. 2. All national male prisoners shall be committed directly to and shall be confined in the penal institution nearest their actual places of residence: Provided, That recidivists, habitual delinquents, those sentenced to death and life imprisonment and problem inmates shall be confined under maximum, security conditions in the main prison at Muntinlupa: Provided, further, That all prisoners under nineteen years of age shall be confined in one of the prison and penal farms to be designated by the Director of Prisons as a Youth Institution.

SEC. 3. The Director of Prisons, with the approval of the Secretary of Justice, shall promulgate rules and regulations to implement the above provisions.

SEC. 4. Heads of Regional Prisons. — Each regional prison, including the Youth Institution, shall be under a regional director who shall be assisted by an assistant regional director. The regional director, and assistant regional director shall be appointed by the Secretary of Justice, upon the recommendation of the Director of Prisons, with a compensation of ten thousand pesos and nine thousand six hundred pesos per annum, respectively, subject to Civil Service Law, rules and regulations. The regional director and the assistant regional director shall possess a bachelor's degree from a college or university of good standing recognized by the Government and with at least five years experience in the field of penology and corrections.

SEC. 5. Other officers and employees, their appointment, qualifications, and compensation. — Division and section chiefs and other officers of equivalent rank of a regional prison shall also be appointed by the Secretary of Justice, upon recommendation of the Director of Prisons. All other personnel therein shall be appointed by the Director of Prisons, upon the recommendation of the regional director, with the approval of the Secretary of Justice. The powers, duties, qualifications and compensation of the aforementioned officers and employees shall be determined by the Director of Prisons.

SEC. 6. Appropriation. — There is hereby appropriated, out of any funds in the National Treasury not otherwise appropriated, the sum of twenty million pesos to finance the purchase of sites if no public lands are available, the construction of buildings and the purchase of equipment for such regional prisons and for other purposes. Thereafter, the necessary funds for the operation of each regional prison shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act.

SEC. 7. All laws or parts thereof contrary to or inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

SEC. 8. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.