Asean prison leaders back PH proposal on repatriating inmates abroad
Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) Director General Gregorio Catapang Jr. says the Philippine proposal will take a while to approve. —INQUIRER.net file photo
PUERTO PRINCESA, Palawan, Philippines — Prison service leaders from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) have expressed support for the Philippines’ proposal to allow the transfer of sentenced persons (TSPs) to their home countries.
“We had a high-level meeting among Asean countries, and we agreed since we are like brothers and sisters,” Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) Director General Gregorio Catapang Jr. said.
The TSP was among the first discussed during their high-level meeting on Saturday as part of the 2nd Asean Regional Correctional Conference (ARCC) hosted by the BuCor and the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP).
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Once the TSP proposal has been approved, Catapang said, he and his Asean counterparts will elevate it to higher authorities since a law may be needed to implement it given that Asean counterparts have different laws such as the those imposing a death penalty.
“This will take a while because, you know, these are legal and diplomatic issues,” Catapang said.
But Catapang remains optimistic.
“Hopefully, one of the outputs of this conference is the agreement on the transfer of Filipinos that are currently jailed in Asean-member countries,” Catapang said.
The Philippines first recommended TSPs during the Asean Law Forum hosted by the Department of Justice (DOJ) in 2017.
Lawyer Mildred Bernadette Alvor, representative of the DOJ Legal Division, said during the event that the Philippines recommended that the Asean Senior Law Officials Meeting (Aslom) should that concrete measures on TSPs consistent with ASEAN processes and utilize as guide the United Nations’ model agreement on the transfer of foreign prisoners as well as existing internal conventions such as Strasbourg Convention Inter-American Convention and UN Convention Against Illicit Traffic Narcotic Drugs.
Data from the BuCor showed that there are 354 foreign nationals serving prison term in various facilities as of January 31, 2025. Of the 354, 24 are from ASEAN member countries.
On the other hand, 414 foreign nations are currently incarcerated in various jails nationwide awaiting resolution of their cases. Of the 414, 30 are from ASEAN member countries.
“The proposal for ASEAN-wide transfer of sentenced persons aims to bring back sentences persons to their home countries where they would be close to their families, with people who speak the same language and share the same customs and traditions,” Alvor said.
Aside from the Philippines, the other members of ASEAN are Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Malaysia, and Myanmar.
Discussed during the event aside from the issue on TSPs, were best practices in decongestion strategies prison health programs, aftercare and reintegration initiatives, and measures to prevent and counter violent extremism, parole and probation.
