The Bureau of Corrections is supporting proposed Supreme Court changes that would allow qualified persons deprived of liberty to serve their sentences under alternatives such as house arrest, medical confinement and community-supervised release.
BuCor Director General Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr. said the bureau is “very much on the same page” with the Supreme Court, particularly on alternative arrangements for elderly and seriously ill offenders. The proposed changes were raised by Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo during the Justice Sector Coordinating Council Summit in Manila.
The Supreme Court is considering revisions to its rules on detention and release as part of broader efforts to address persistent congestion in the country’s correctional facilities. The proposed framework would allow qualified individuals to remain outside traditional prison facilities under safeguards and monitoring, depending on factors such as age, health condition and risk level.
Catapang said the proposal is consistent with BuCor’s own position on compassionate release. The bureau has advocated medical parole for elderly persons deprived of liberty aged 70 and above, people who are terminally ill and those who are severely incapacitated.
BuCor data showed that as of August 2026, the agency had about 6,074 elderly persons deprived of liberty, including 55 who were terminally ill. The figures highlight the particular challenges involved in providing appropriate medical and custodial care to aging and seriously ill inmates.
The proposed alternatives do not mean automatic release. Any arrangement would remain subject to legal requirements, eligibility standards, safeguards and monitoring. Possible measures include home confinement, medical parole and community supervision rather than continued confinement in a traditional correctional facility.
Gesmundo has said the judiciary’s proposed changes form part of a broader justice-sector effort to reduce detention delays and prison congestion. The Supreme Court is focusing on bail, detention and release procedures, while other agencies address delays in investigation, prosecution, case processing and the implementation of release orders.
BuCor also pointed to international examples, noting that countries including the United States, United Kingdom and Canada have legal frameworks involving compassionate or medical parole for certain elderly or seriously ill offenders.
The proposal comes as government agencies continue efforts to improve the correctional system while balancing public safety, the rights of persons deprived of liberty and the need for humane treatment of vulnerable inmates.
For BuCor, the proposed reforms could also strengthen the use of medical and compassionate-release mechanisms while allowing correctional resources to focus on inmates who require secure custodial facilities. The Supreme Court’s final rules and the safeguards that will govern any alternative detention arrangements will determine how the changes are implemented.
