IPINAGTANGGOL ng Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) nitong Biyernes ang polisiya sa cashless transactions ng mga bilanggo at kanilang pamilya, na kinuwestiyon ng ilang party-list lawmakers sa budget hearing ng ahensiya.
Sa nasabing pagdinig, kinuwestiyon nina Gabriela Rep. Arlene Brosas at ACT Rep. France Castro ang umano’y polisiya na nagpapatupad ng 2 percent na kaltas sa lahat incoming cash transactions para sa mga PDL bukod pa ang service deductions sa pamamagitan ng GCASH, LBC, dalaw o paabot, gayundin ang 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,” saad ni Bucor Director General Gregorio Catapang Jr. sa news release.
Sa ilalim ng cashless system na inilunsad nitong Pebrero 2024, binigyan ang PDLs ng passbooks para magdeposito ng pera, na maari nilang gamitin upang makabili sa Inmate Post Exchange (IPX) at imonitor ang kanilang transaksyon.
Upang malaman ang viability ng IPX cashless system, pumasok ang BuCor sa isang kasunduan kasama ang service provider na ang subject ay ang 3.5 percent BuCor share sa malilikom na revenue sa pamamagitan ng pilot testing para sa management at operation ng CIW IPX hanggang sa paglahathala sa Memorandum Circular on Bucor IPX through Cashless Transaction, o hanggang matukoy ang pinaka-kwalipikadong service provider.
“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,” ayon sa BuCor.
“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,” dagdag pa nito.
“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.”
Nitong July 2024, nakapag-remit ang service provider ng P709,697, na kumpleto at may resibo.
Ayon sa BuCor, ang pilot implementation ng e-payments ay pinuri ni Senior Minority Leader Joseph Stephen Paduano, kung saan sinabi nito na, “ito ang tamang direksyon upang mabawasan, hindi man tuluyang mapuksa, ang korapsyon sa loob ng BuCor.
Ayon kay Paduano, may mga natanggap na report ang kanyang opisina na ang pera na dala-dala ng mga kaanak ng PDLs ay binabawasan ng jail guards, prison cell leaders at 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,” saad niya. “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 think we are seeing a much better system,“ dagdag pa nito.
Samantala, iimbestigahan ni Justice Secretary Jesus Remulla at Catapang ang nasabing isyu.
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