BuCor chief links 70-80% of ASEAN crimes to drugs, calls for rehab over prison

About 70-80 percent of crimes in Southeast Asia are linked to drug use, according to Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) Director General Gregorio Pio P. Catapang Jr., who made the statement on Monday following the ASEAN Regional Correctional Conference (ARCC).

Catapang highlighted that drugs were a common issue among ASEAN countries and noted that home imprisonment for minor offenses could help reduce prison congestion.

He suggested sending individuals arrested for drug possession directly to rehabilitation centers instead of prisons, emphasizing the importance of whole-of-government approaches involving various agencies like the Department of Health (DoH) and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority.

Catapang also discussed plans to revitalize the underused Mega Drug Abuse Treatment and Rehabilitation Center in Palayan City, Nueva Ecija, built during former President Rodrigo Duterte's administration.

The next ARCC is scheduled for 2026 in Thailand, with future conferences planned every two years thereafter.