DOJ ready for unified prison system if BJMP, BuCor merge

September 3, 2026

By ABOGADO.COM.PH Staff

The Department of Justice (DOJ) is ready to assume responsibility for a unified prison system if Congress approves the proposed merger of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) and the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor).

In a press conference, Justice Undersecretary Ian Norman Dato said the DOJ supports the goal of having a unified prison system and is prepared to take on the additional mandate.

“The Secretary of Justice believes that a unified prison system is the objective. And agreeing on the operational control is a step in that direction,” Dato said.

“So the Department, if ever the call or judgment is made, stands ready to carry that mandate with the resources that come with it,” he added.

The proposal was raised by Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla, who urged Congress to consider placing the BJMP under the DOJ and merging it with BuCor.

The BJMP is currently under the Department of the Interior and Local Government, while BuCor is under the DOJ.#