THE Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) on Thursday said it would be impossible for a prisoner or person deprived of liberty (PDL) to escape from correctional facilities through the use of drones.
Corrections Director General Gregorio Pio P. Catapang Jr. said the noise produced by the drones aside from the extensive closed-circuit television (CCTV) systems installed in prisons would easily detect any plan or attempt to escape through unmanned aerial vehicles.
Catapang issued the statement following reports that South Korean national Park Wang-yeol plotted to escape from the New Bilibid Prisons (NBP) in Muntinlupa City before he was repatriated to South Korea last March to face trial for a criminal case.
Park was found guilty by a Philippine court in 2022 for the killing of his three compatriots in Bacolod City.
He was serving his 60-year prison sentence at the NBP before he was handed over to South Korean authorities.
Reports said Park planned to strap himself to the drone and be flown out of the prison compound.
Several test flights were allegedly conducted near the facility in preparation for the attempt.
‘All our Operating Prison and Penal Farms are no fly zones, and we have watchtowers manned 24/7 which immediately alert our guards if there will be attempts to escape through drones aside from maingay ang drone at equipped naman ang ating facilities ng mga CCTV, so we can detect it at once,’ Catapang said.
Catapang stressed that drones cannot operate near correctional facilities without attracting the attention of prison personnel and security systems.
‘Their audible motors, especially when flying at low altitudes, could immediately alert guards and other authorities,’ he noted.
Likewise, the BuCor chief said the presence of CCTV cameras throughout correctional facilities further strengthens the bureau’s ability to detect suspicious activity.
‘These cameras allow security personnel to monitor prison grounds, perimeters, buildings, and other restricted areas. Any drone spotted within or near a facility could be recorded and tracked, enabling authorities to respond quickly,’ Catapang pointed out.