Manila Bulletin
Treat PDL with respect, dignity --- CHR
The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) supports the temporary release of light offenders, the elderly, and other vulnerable individuals to help decongest jails during the COVID-19 crisis.
CHR spokesperson Jacquelyn de Guia emphasized the importance of treating all persons deprived of liberty (PDL) with dignity while acknowledging accountability for their crimes.
The CHR backs proposals to form an ad hoc committee that would evaluate jail conditions and establish guidelines for the temporary release of qualified PDLs for humanitarian reasons.
These proposed measures, originating from the House Committee on Justice, aim to prioritize first-time offenders, those detained for non-violent bailable offenses who cannot afford bail, and individuals with no history of jumping bail.
Elderly individuals and those with pre-existing health conditions that could be worsened by COVID-19 infection are also being considered for temporary release.
The CHR also recommended the procurement of appropriate personal protective equipment, implementation of 'e-dalaw' or online visitation, online filing of cases, and the establishment of isolation facilities for PDL exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms.
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Human rights group Kapatid urged the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) and the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) to publicly disclose the number of persons deprived of liberty (PDL) infected with COVID-19.
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The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) is urging the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) to expedite jail decongestion amidst rising COVID-19 cases among Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDLs).
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The House Committee on Justice has recommended the temporary release on bail of prisoners, especially vulnerable ones, to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in the country's congested jails.
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Justice Secretary Menardo I. Guevarra ordered the Bureau of Corrections and the Board of Pardons and Parole to expedite the release of sick and elderly prisoners or grant them executive clemency.
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The Department of Justice (DOJ) will proceed with the release of "vulnerable" persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) to protect them from COVID-19, even without the finalized uniform manual for the expanded Good Conduct Time Allowance (GCTA) law.
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