FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) 
Second Regular Session 
1 
Introduced by Senator Antonio “Sonny” F. Trillanes IV 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Article 111, Section 19 of the Constitution provides for the proper protection of any prisoner or 
detainee against the employment of physical, psychologcal, or degrading punishment or the use 
of substandard and inadequate penal facilities under subhuman conditions. Towards this end, 
professionalism in the rehabilitation and treatment of prisoners, as well as other problems 
suffered by local jails and national prisons, should be sufficiently dealt with. 
Throughout the country, the problem of congestion in jail facilities consequently causes jail 
disturbance, escapes, substandard living conditions, poor sanitation and hygiene-related diseases 
as the number of inmates in jails continue to increase. For this reason, an integrated prison and 
jail system is considered necessary to improve correctional services and solve the jail congestion 
problem nationwide. 
This proposed bill gives way to an integrated prison and jail system that particularly aims to: 
1, enhance coordination and harmonious relationship among personnel of the national, 
provincial, sub-provincial, district, city, and municipal jails; 
2. avoid fraternization between jail personnel and prisoners through reshuffling of personnel 
from one jail to another; and 
3. immediately respond to the logistical needs of each jail by easily adjusting the expenses 
of every jail depending upon the number of its prisoner at a given time. 
This bill further seeks to improve the existing penal system in the Philippines by abolishing the 
Bureau of Corrections, Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, and the provincial jail services 
being maintained by the provincial governments. In lieu thereof, a coordinated, highly-efficient 
and competent corrections bureau, to be known as the Bureau of Correctional Services, will be 
established, This bureau will be responsible for the proper custody and rehabilitation of the 
inmates in the national prisons, as well as in the provincial, sub-provincial, district, city, and 
municipal jails in the country. 
In view of the foregoing, the approval of this proposed bill is earnestly requested. 
Senator 
1 


1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) 
Second Regular Session 
1 
Introduced by Senator Antonio “Sonny” F. Trillanes IV 
AN ACT 
AND MUNIClPAL JAILS, PLACING FOR THE PURPOSE THE BUREAU OF 
JAIL MANAGEMENT AND PENOLOGY UNDER A NEW BUREAU TO BE CALLED 
THE BUREAU OF CORRECTIONAL SERVICES, APPROPRIATING FUNDS 
THEREFOR AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
INTEGRATING ALL THE NATIONAL, PROVINCLAL, SUB-PROVINCIAL, CITY, 
CORRECTIONS, PROVINCIAL/SUB-PROVINCIAL JAILS AND THE BUREAU OF 
Be in enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled: 
SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the “Jail Integration Act of 
2008”. 
SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is hereby declared to be the policy of the State to 
establish a highly efficient and competent jail bureau which shall be responsible for the proper 
custody and rehabilitation of the inmates in the provincial, sub-provincial, district, city, and 
municipal jails. Towards this end, the State shall promote an effective rehabilitation program for 
the inmates; provide standard and adequate jail facilities; establish uniform guidelines and 
policies for the efficient management of the personnel and inmates of the national prisons and 
the provincial, sub-provincial, district, city, and municipal jails; and professionalize all the 
personnel thereof. 
SEC. 3. 
Creation and Composition of the Bureau of Correctional Services. - The 
Bureau of Correctional Services, hereinafter referred to as the Bureau, is hereby established and 
1 


1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 
16 
17 
18 
19 
20 
21 
22 
23 
24 
25 
26 
27 
constituted, which shall be placed under the direct control and supervision of the Department of 
Justice (DOJ) and initially consisting of the Bureau of Corrections created pursuant to Section 
26, Chapter 8, Title 111, Book IV of the Revised Administrative Code of 1987; the Bureau of Jail 
Management and Penology (BJMP) created pursuant to Republic Act No. 6975; and the 
provincial, sub-provincial jail services maintained by the respective provincial governments. 
Detention centers and lock-up cells being maintained by the Armed Forces of the 
Philippines, Philippine National Police (I'm), Boys Town, Girls Center, and other existing 
youth rehabilitation centers shall not be considered as included herein. 
SEC. 4. Functions and Jurisdiction of the Bureau. - The Bureau shall be responsible 
for the safe and efficient custody and effective rehabilitation of the prisoners within territorial 
limits of the Philippines in consonance with the Constitutional mandate provided for under 
Section 19 (2) of Article 111. It shall exercise supervision and control over all national prisons, 
provincial, sub-provincial, district, city, and municipal jails, and perform such other functions as 
may be necessary to carry out the policies set forth under Section 2 hereof 
The bureau of Correctional Services shall absorb the functions of the Bureau of 
Corrections, BJMP, and the provincial and sub-provincial jails maintained by their respective 
provincial governments. 
SEC. 5. Organization and Key Positions. - The head of the Bureau, to be known as the 
Director, shall have the position and title of Chief of the Bureau and shall be assisted by two (2) 
deputy chiefs, to be known as Deputy Directors, who shall have the title of Deputy Chief for 
National Prisons and Deputy Chief for Local Jails, respectively, all of whom shall be appointed 
by the President. 
Each Deputy Director shall have two (2) assistants who shall have the position and title 
of Assistant Chief for Management and Rehabilitation and Assistant Chief for Security and 
Operations, respectively. 
2 


1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 
16 
17 
18 
19 
20 
21 
22 
23 
24 
25 
26 
The Secretary of Justice shall prescribe the organizational structure, staffing pattern, as 
well as the functions of key officers of the Bureau upon the effectivity of this Act. 
SEC. 6. Maintenance of Adequately-Equipped and Sanitary Jails. - There shall be 
established and maintained in every province, city and municipality a secured, clean, adequately- 
equipped and sanitary jail for the custody and safekeeping of the prisoners. 
There shall be established and maintained also a secured, clean, adequately-equipped and 
sanitary jail for the custody of convicted prisoners who are serving sentence or awaiting result of 
their appeals. The national jails shall refer to the existing national prisons and penal colonies 
such as the New Bilibid Prison; Correctional Institution for Women; Iwahig Prison and Penal 
Farm; Davao Prison and Penal Farm; Sablayan Prison and Penal Farm; Leyte Regional Prison; 
and San Ramon Prison and Penal Farm. 
SEC. 7. Custody and Treatment of Prisoners. - In the custody and treatment of the 
herein mentioned prisoners, full respect for their human rights as well as their spiritual, physical 
and general well-being shall be promoted. 
Any person who employs physical, psychological, inhuman or degrading punishment 
against any prisoner or detainee, or who appears responsible for the use of substandard on 
inadequate penal facilities under subhuman conditions shall, in addition to whatever criminal 
liability ha may incur under existing laws, be administratively liable for Grave Misconduct 
pursuant to Civil Service laws, rules and regulations. 
SEC. 8. Power of the Secretary of Justice to Categorize Prisoners. - Upon the 
effectivity of this Act, the Secretary of Justice shall, after consultation with the Chief of the 
Bureau, issue rules and regulations pertaining to the classification commitment and transfer of 
the prisoners, taking into account their age, incorrigibility or recidivism, gravity if the offense 
3 


1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 
16 
17 
18 
19 
20 
21 
22 
23 
24 
25 
26 
committed, penalty or sentence imposed on them, and such other factors as may help in 
determining to which jail they shall be properly and appropriately placed under custody, with the 
end in view of decongesting the jails and promoting the general welfare of the prisoners. 
SEC. 9. Tranger, Merger, and Absorption of the Ofjces and Personnel. - All 
properties, equipment and finances of the provincial and sub-provincial jails; of the defunct 
Bureau of Corrections and the national jails mentioned in Section 6 hereof; and, of the defunct 
BJMP and the existing district and city/municipal jails, shall be transferred to the Bureau. The 
transfer, merger, and/or absorption of any government office concerned shall include the 
functions, appropriate records, equipment, facilities, choses in action, assets, liabilities, if any, 
and the personnel thereof who shall, unless removed for cause after observing due process, in a 
holdover capacity, continue to perform their duties and responsibilities and receive their 
corresponding salaries and benefits. Those personnel of the transferred, merged, and/or absorbed 
officehit whose positions are not included in the new position structure and staffing pattern 
approved by the DOJ, or who are not reappointed shall be given preference to join the Bureau of 
Correctional Services or any of the offices thereunder or shall be allowed to retire under existing 
laws, rules and regulations. Otherwise, they shall be deemed separated and paid gratuity 
equivalent to one and one-fourth (I %) months basic salary for every year of service or a fraction 
thereof. 
SEC. 10. Special Oversight CommZttee. - A Special Oversight Committee composed of 
the Secretary of Justice as Chairman, the Secretaries of the Department of Interior and Local 
Government and the Department of Budget and Management, the Chairman of the Civil Service 
Commission, the Chief of the Bureau of Correctional Services, and he Chairman of the Senate 
and House of Representatives Committees on Justice and Human Rights as members, is hereby 
created. This Committee shall plan and oversee the expeditious implementation of the transfer 
4 


1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 
16 
17 
18 
19 
20 
21 
22 
23 
24 
25 
26 
and absorption of the Bureau: the personnel, properties, appropriations and installations of the 
Bureau of Corrections, including the national jails mentioned in Section 3 hereof and the BJMP, 
including the existing provincial and sub-provincial jails maintained by their respective 
provincial governments. 
SEC. 11. Implementation. - The implementation of this Act shall be undertaken in four 
(4) phases, to wit: 
PHASE I - Inventory and absorption by the Bureau of all personnel, properties, 
equipment, records, appropriations, and finances of the transferred and absorbed offices 
mentioned in Section 9 hereof, to be completed within six (6) months from the effectivity of this 
Act. 
PHASE I1 - Recruitment of personnel to cover all district, city and municipal jail 
positions which, prior to the effectivity of this Act, have not yet been filled by the organic 
personnel of the defunct BJMP, to be completed within six (6) months from the effectivity of this 
Act. To accomplish the task of Phase 11, special funds therefor shall he appropriated upon the 
effectivity of this Act. At the end of this phase, all these jail positions shall have been filled by 
the organic personnel of the Bureau and removed form the supervision and control of the 
inembers of the PNP. 
PHASE 111 - Approval by the Secretary of Justice of the organizational structure of the 
Bureau, and the preparation and filling up of its staffing pattern, to be completed within twelve 
(12) months from the effectivity date hereof. 
PHASE IV - Conversion of the rank of the uniformed personnel of the defunct BJMP 
into its equivalent ranklposition in the Bureau, and the rationalization of compensation and 
retirement systems, taking into consideration the existing compensation schemes and retirement 
and separation benefit systems of the transferred and absorbed offices mentioned in Section 9 
hereof, to ensure that no member of the Bureau shall suffer any diminution in basic longevity 
5 


1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 
16 
17 
18 
19 
20 
21 
22 
23 
and incentive pays, allowances and retirement benefits due them before the creation of the 
Bureau, to be completed within two (2) years from the effectivity of this Act. The Special 
Oversight Committee mentioned in Section 10 hereof shall be responsible for the timely 
accomplishment of this phase. 
Upon the effectivity of this Act, the present Bureau of Corrections as well as the BJM?' 
shall cease to exist. The incumbent Director of the defunct Bureau of Corrections shall act as the 
Chief of the Bureau of Correctional Services until such time as he shall have been replaced by 
the President. 
SEC. 12. Retirement Age of Uniformed Personnel of the Defunct BJMP. - Any 
uniformed personnel of the defunct BJMP who shall be absorbed by the Bureau may, upon 
reaching the age of fifty-six (56) years, retire in accordance with Republic Act No. 6975 as 
implemented by the BJMP. If he opts to remain in the service, he shall be retired in accordance 
with Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) Retirement System under Presidential 
Decree No. 1146, as amended. 
SEC. 13. Application of Civil Service Laws. - The Civil Service Law and its 
implementing rules and regulations shall apply to all personnel ofthe Bureau. 
SEC. 14. Funding. - For purposes of organizing and constituting the Bureau, and for 
carrying out the provisions of this Act, the appropriations for the current fiscal year of the 
transferred and abolished offices mentioned in Section 9 hereof shall be transferred to the 
Bureau. Thereafter, such amounts as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act 
24 
shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act. 
6 


1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
SEC. 15. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - Within six (6) months from the 
effectivity of this Act, the Secretaxy of Justice shall, in coordination with the Bureau, promulgate 
rules and regulations necessary to ensure the effective implementation of this Act. 
SEC. 16. Separability Clause. - If any portion of this Act is declared unconstitutional, 
the same shall not affect the validity and effectivity of the other provisions not affected thereby. 
SEC. 17. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, executive orders, rules and regulations, 
and other issuances or parts thereof which are inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed, 
amended or modified accordingly. 
11 
12 
13 
SEC. 18. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect after fifteen (15) days following its 
publication in at least two (2) national newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved, 
7