The Philippine government will transfer thousands of drug convicts to a fortress-like prison facility on Mindoro, a shift in President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s approach to the country’s drug problem, which departs from his predecessor’s violent anti-narcotics campaign that left thousands dead.

The Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) announced on Friday that all drug offenders across the nation’s prisons will be consolidated at the Sablayan Prison and Penal Farm (SPPF), which houses a SuperMax facility designed for high-security inmates.

Sablayan is a first class municipality in the province of Occidental Mindoro with a population of more than 92,000 as of 2020 census.

“This initiative will be focused, hardened, and robust,” BuCor Director General Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr. said in a statement, adding that the move aligns with DOJ Secretary Crispin Remulla’s directives to disrupt drug networks operating from within prisons.

The plan involves deploying approximately 200 members of the Philippine National Police Special Action Force (PNF-SAF), an elite police unit, to enhance security at the facility.

Prison officers will undergo mandatory weekly rotations to prevent potential collusion with inmates.

The facility has already begun housing high-profile drug convicts since July 2023, when transfers from the congested New Bilibid Prison began.

Current inmates include 134 Chinese nationals, seven Hong Kong citizens, 20 Taiwanese, and others from Canada, Iran, Korea, and Nigeria, alongside 78 Filipino nationals, reflecting the international scope of the country’s drug trade.

BuCor plans to transfer an initial batch of 200 inmates this week, followed by 300 more by month-end, targeting a total of 1,000 transfers to SPPF’s Pasugui Sub Colony.

Officials have identified 5,890 drug convicts at New Bilibid Prison for potential relocation in Mindoro island.

The centralization effort is part of what officials call a “bloodless drug war,” contrasting with former President Rodrigo Duterte’s controversial anti-drug campaign that drew international criticism for its deadly approach.

Human rights groups estimate that Duterte’s drug war resulted in the deaths of thousands of suspects, many in questionable circumstances.

Analysts say the move represents a strategic shift in the country’s anti-drug policy, focusing on containment and control rather than the aggressive street-level operations that characterized the previous administration.

The Justice Department, working with the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), plans to target drug supply chains through improved intelligence and coordination between law enforcement agencies.

New Bilibid Prison has long been criticized for overcrowding and reports of continued drug operations run by imprisoned crime bosses.

The transfer program will address these issues while strengthening control over convicted drug offenders, BuCor said.