Philippine News Agency
Humanitarian policies for old, sick inmates in place: DOJ
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.
This directive was issued even before the COVID-19 outbreak and prior to a petition filed with the Supreme Court by relatives of 22 elderly and sick detainees seeking their release.
The House of Representatives justice committee has also recommended the temporary release on bail of low-level offenders, as well as sick and elderly prisoners.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) fully supports these recommendations because the elderly and sick prisoners are vulnerable to the virus.
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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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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 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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The Supreme Court ordered government officials to comment on a petition for the temporary release of low-risk and vulnerable detainees due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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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.
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