Some 15,322 persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) were released from the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP)-run jail facilities between March 17 to June 22 in a bid to decongest the prison cells in the midst of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) said on Thursday.
DILG Secretary Eduardo Año said the move is a testament that the government has not neglected the welfare of the PDLs contrary to the criticisms of leftist groups that decongesting the jails is the least of its priorities.
(Photo from Philippine Information Agency / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN)
Of the 15,322 released PDLs, 5,910 were from the National Capital Region; 1,557 from CALABARZON; 1,487 from Central Visayas; 1,041 from Central Luzon; 897 from Zamboanga Peninsula; 762 from Northern Mindanao; and the rest are from other regions.
He noted that majority of the released PDLs are elderly and those who committed light or bailable offenses.
“All of these PDLs were released by authority of the courts with some released in accordance with new guidelines issued by the Supreme Court because of the pandemic,” Año said.
Despite budgetary and personnel limitations of the BJMP, Año said that the agency has established COVID-19 isolation centers in the regions with medical staff support from the Department of Health (DOH), Local Health Units of concerned local government units (LGUs) and with the aid of the Telemedicine, a medical consultation program with medical practitioners using technology.
The six Ligtas COVID Centers with a total of 918-bed capacity were established in strategic areas, particularly in Quezon City, San Fernando City, Cebu City, Mandaue City, Pagbilao in Quezon province, and Zamboanga City.
The BJMP under the leadership of Director Allan Iral has intensified the triaging process, provision of more focused medical care to patients, conduct of daily disinfection of jails, targeted and expanded testing and massive health education campaigns inside jails.
These were created besides the usual precautionary measures such as wearing of face mask, thermal scanning, use of foot baths, hand washing, and maintaining good hygiene.
Año also emphasized that the number of PDLs recovering from COVID-19 also continued to increase with 549 out of 783 confirmed COVID-19 cases of the PDLs and 90 out of the 135 of the BJMP personnel have already recovered as of July 1.
Admitting that enforcing physical distancing in the jails is a challenge, Año said that the BJMP also expanded the electronic dalaw (e-Dalaw) program in relation to the temporary suspension of the visitation of the PDLs.
1,312 PDLs released thru SC guidelines
DILG Spokesperson and Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya said that the release of the 15,322 PDLs was not arbitrary but is in accordance with the lawful orders of the courts and through the coordination with the Public Attorney's Office (PAO) that started on March 17.
Of the 15,322 released PDLs, 1,312 were released because of the new Supreme Court guidelines issued to decongest the jails.
Among such circulars are Administrative Circular (AC) No. 33 –2020 supplemented by the Office of the Court Administrator (OCA) Circular No. 89 –2020 which allowed the electronic filing of information and transmission of release orders; OCA Circular No. 91 –2020 which reiterated the guidelines on the release of qualified PDLs through self-recognizance and provisional dismissal; and AC No. 37 –2020 which allowed pilot testing of video conference hearings of urgent matters in criminal cases involving PDLs.
“The DILG welcomes the Supreme Court’s issuance of guidelines on addressing overcrowded jails to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and to give liberty to deserving PDLs,” Malaya said.