Rappler
‘Catastrophic’ situation in jails feared if ‘low-risk’ prisoners not released
Human Rights Watch urged the Philippine government to release low-level, non-violent offenders, the elderly, and sick prisoners to decongest jails amid the COVID-19 crisis.
HRW warned that failure to act could lead to catastrophic public health problems and a severe outbreak within correctional facilities, endangering the lives of inmates.
The New York-based watchdog supports similar calls made by local rights groups like Karapatan and organizations representing families of political prisoners.
The organization highlighted the significant overcrowding in Philippine prisons and detention centers as a major concern.
Robertson stated that early releases are necessary for humanitarian reasons and to prevent the spread of COVID-19, emphasizing the need for detention facilities to be prepared for the virus.
However, government officials have rejected these proposals, stating that persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) are safer inside.
🤖
This story was generated by AI to help you understand the key points. For more detailed coverage, please see the news articles from trusted media outlets below.
News Sources
See how different news organizations are covering this story. Below are the original articles from various Philippine news sources that contributed to this summary.
Senator Leila de Lima has urged the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) to release qualified Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDLs) to prevent a COVID-19 outbreak in the country's overcrowded jails and detention centers.
Read more →
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.
+1
Read more →
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.
Read more →
Gabriela Party-list Rep. Arlene Brosas urged the government to release political prisoners on humanitarian grounds due to their vulnerability to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Read more →
As of April 7, Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) facilities have no reported COVID-19 cases among inmates, though 74 detainees are currently persons under monitoring (PUMs) and two are persons under investigation (PUIs).
Read more →